Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Dutch poultry industry was hit hard by last year's fipronil crisis

Six German states have been told to pull some 73,000 eggs from sale after residue was detected from an insecticide called fipronil.

Agriculture officials in Lower Saxony said the eggs had come from an organic farm in the Netherlands and insisted there was no risk to human health.

Fipronil gets rid of lice but the EU bans it on animals such as chickens.

Last year millions of eggs were pulled from supermarket shelves across Europe because of a fipronil scare.

Officials said they had now detected traces of the insecticide in samples from a packaging depot in the German town of Vechta.

The residue was above the permitted EU level of 0.005mg per kg, but it was "well below a rate that would constitute a risk to health", they said (in German). The highest test showed a level of 0.019mg/kg.

The eggs came from an organic hen farm and were delivered between 17 May and 4 June.

The source of the latest discovery is still being investigated. A second round of tests has been conducted and the results are expected later this week.

The Dutch poultry industry was hit hard by last year's insecticide crisis, when millions of eggs had to be removed from sale. Ten farms closed at the time have yet to reopen.

Dutch food and consumer safety authority NVWA said it was monitoring whether the detection of fipronil had anything to do with the recent lifting of measures imposed amid fears of bird flu requiring farmers to keep free-range hens indoors.

Reports suggested that the insecticide may have originated in contaminated soil at the poultry farm in question.

"This is not a renewed use of fipronil in stables of poultry farms. It certainly does sound like a residue issue. Barns may have been flushed out," NVWA spokesman Rob Hageman told the BBC.

"It puts Dutch eggs in a bad light again," said poultry farmers association president Eric Hubers. Germany is the biggest market for Dutch eggs.</s>The German government has recalled thousands of eggs contaminated with the chemical fipronil

The Agriculture Ministry of the state of Lower Saxony has said that approximately 73,000 eggs due to be sold across six German states are contaminated with the insecticide fipronil.

The new contaminated batch of eggs from the Netherlands arrived on supermarket shelves in Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, the ministry said Monday. A recall of the eggs has been initiated.

The news of the contaminated eggs comes less than a year after it became public that fipronil, a toxic anti-lice agent banned from use in products for human consumption, had found its way into millions of eggs in the Netherlands.

The result was a huge fallout for Dutch authorities. Millions of eggs had to be taken off the market in Germany and other European countries, and several hen farms had to be closed in the Netherlands.

Altogether, a total of 97,200 eggs were delivered between May 17 and June 4 from the Netherlands to a packing center in the district of Vechta, in Lower Saxony. The state’s ministry was informed about the new contamination on Friday.

The scope and cause of the contamination remains unclear.</s>The Agriculture Ministry of the state of Lower Saxony has today (12 June) confirmed that approximately 73,000 eggs due to be sold across six German states are contaminated with the insecticide.Officials said the eggs had come from an organic farm in the Netherlands, and were delivered to a packing centre in the district of Vechta, in Lower Saxony between 17 May and 4 June.German agricultural officials have insisted there is no risk to human health.Millions of eggs were withdrawn from sale and laying hens were culled last year following the discovery that the banned substance had been used in the Netherlands and Belgium in a treatment for red mite, an ectoparasite of poultry.Last year's fipronil scandal led to more than 100 farms being shut down in the Netherlands, where the crisis emerged and eggs and products containing eggs being withdrawn from stores across Europe, including the UK.However, although foods were taken off shelve in the UK, investigations found no evidence of fipronil on British farms.Even so, the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) said it was introducing an approved list of pesticides that could be used on farms.The Council urged retailers, processors and food service companies to play safe and buy UK eggs.Andrew Joret, Chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, said: “Unfortunately, we are not surprised by these developments as we have been concerned for some time that the initial issues following the product recalls we saw last year have not been thoroughly resolved.“With the extent of the issue unclear, we are asking the Food Standards Agency to take decisive action to protect UK food businesses, and are calling for random testing of all imported eggs and egg products.Mr Joret added: “Food businesses should protect themselves by specifying British Lion eggs and egg products, which are produced to the highest standards of food safety, and reassure their customers by using the British Lion mark on pack.”</s>German authorities have recalled more than 73,000 Dutch eggs after finding them contaminated with the insecticide fipronil in six German states.

German's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said Tuesday there is no health hazard to consumers and that the eggs are being recalled as a precaution.

Millions of eggs were pulled from European supermarket shelves last year after it was revealed that fipronil, which can be dangerous to human health, was mixed with another treatment sprayed on chickens for ticks, fleas and lice.

Authorities in the Netherlands say the current case is likely linked to the same contamination, and that the insecticide isn't used any more but could have originated in tainted soil at a Dutch poultry farm.</s>FRANKFURT AM MAIN-German authorities have pulled some 73,000 Dutch eggs from supermarket shelves after they were found to be contaminated with fipronil, the same insecticide that sparked a huge food scare last year.

The agriculture ministry of Lower Saxony said the batch of tainted eggs had come from an organic firm in the Netherlands, but insisted there was currently no danger to human health. The amount of fipronil detected was above the legal limits set by the European Union but remains “far below a level that would constitute a health risk”, the ministry said in a statement late Monday. The tainted eggs were discovered in routine testing at a packing centre in the Lower Saxony town of Vechta, it said, adding that Dutch authorities had been notified. Six German states are affected by the recall. The scare revived memories of last year’s fipronil scandal, when millions of eggs contaminated with the insecticide had to be destroyed in 45 countries around the world. The eggs mainly originated from farms in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The discovery sparked a row between the two countries and other neighbours over how long officials knew about the problem before sounding the alarm. Commonly used to get rid of fleas, lice and ticks from animals, fipronil is banned by the EU from use in the food industry. When eaten in large quantities fipronil can harm people’s kidneys, liver and thyroid glands, according to the World Health Organization.</s>The call follows news of Germany recalling some 73,000 eggs this week, found to be contaminated with the chemical fipronil.Last year, millions of hens were culled and eggs and food products were destroyed after the original discovery that the banned chemical had been used in a red mite treatment on layers in Europe.European Union investigators subsequently found contaminated eggs or chicken in eight different European Union countries.Now, more contamination has been found. Dutch authorities confirmed tothat two new cases had been confirmed and a third was under investigation.The latest cases began on a farm at Tilligte, which is close to the German border. The whole 3,000-bird free range layer flock was culled as a result of the discovery."A poultry farmer from Tilligte had sold his eggs to a supermarket chain that had sampled these in their regular quality check. The supermarket’s laboratory found an elevated level of fipronil in the eggs and notified the poultry farmer, who decided to cull his 3,000 chickens and recalled 45,000 eggs for destruction," said Rob Hageman, of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).The affected farmer was named in the Dutch press as Jos Kienhuis, who reportedly told RTV Oost that he believed his fields had been contaminated by residues of the chemical from last year’s fipronil scandal. His was one of 281 egg farms shut down during the original crisis last year."It was the second time this poultry farmer had to go through this," said Mr Hageman. "In August of 2017, at the height of the 2017 fipronil eggs contamination episode, his farm was also blocked and he had to cull 3,000 chickens and destroy 10,000 eggs."It is still unknown where the contamination came from. One plausible scenario is that the free range farmer rinsed his barn after the first culling and flushed the water onto the free range field," he said.Andrew Joret, chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, has called for Food Standards Agency to take "decisive action" to protect UK food businesses.He said: “Unfortunately, we are not surprised by these developments as we have been concerned for some time that the initial issues following the product recalls we saw last year have not been thoroughly resolved.“With the extent of the issue unclear, we are calling for random testing of all imported eggs and egg products.“Food businesses should protect themselves by specifying British Lion eggs and egg products, which are produced to the highest standards of food safety, and reassure their customers by using the British Lion mark on pack,” he said.In the United Kingdom some food products were removed from shelves in some supermarkets last year, but all of them included eggs imported from other countries. Investigations on British farms found no trace of the banned chemical.Although UK production was given the all-clear, the British Egg Industry Council said it would introduce an approved list of pesticides detailing which ones could be used on farms.</s>Is There A Science Behind Boiling Eggs?

Some eggs will peel perfectly while others become a bitty, stringy mess. How can you make a perfectly boiled egg?

Qualification: Watched a food program where they visited to a factory making Scotch Eggs

Answer: It is all to do with timing. There is a specific amount of time that the eggs must be left to cool down. Perfect eggs cannot be peeled too soon or too late.

Answer: The egg shell is porous and as more air gets in through the shell and pushes the egg further inside, it becomes easier to peel.</s>FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Transport minister: 238,000 Daimler diesels in Germany subject to immediate recall over excess emissions.</s>Recent studies have shown the benefits of eating 2 eggs a day. It turns out that the reason is the eggs offer you a nutrition-packed deal to gain protein and other vital nutrients. A medium-sized egg yolk contains between 185 and 215 mg of cholesterol.

If your LDL (bad) cholesterol level is more than 100 mg, or if you have been diagnosed with a heart disease, you should only eat 200 mg cholesterol a day. Two large eggs will provide your body with 13 grams protein, 9.5 grams fat, 56 mg of calcium, and 1.8 mg of iron.

Not only chicken eggs are an excellent source of protein, eggs of the ducks and geese are healthy as well. Did you know the white of the egg has a different nutritional value from the rest of the egg?

Let's read on to find out if it is okay to eat 2 eggs a day.

1. The Brain Is Under Choline Protection

 2. Vitamin D Helps In Calcium Absorption

 3. Good Eyesight

 4. The Risk Of Heart Disease Is Reduced

 5. Helps In Weight Loss

 6. Enhances Your Skin

 7. Risk Of Cancer Is Decreased

 8. Boosts Fertility

1. The Brain Is Under Choline Protection

Phospholipids promote the normal communication of brain cells which consist of choline. Choline is a vitamin which is clinically proven to be the most important building material of the brain.

Eating 2 eggs a day will provide your body with this ample amount of nutrient. A deficiency of the choline vitamin leads to memory loss and forgetfulness.

What will you prefer having? Eating a boiled egg or having fish oil supplements? You will choose the boiled egg, right? Eggs are rich in vitamin D and this vitamin helps in calcium absorption and strengthens your bones and teeth.

 How does vitamin D help in calcium absorption? Vitamin D facilitates intestinal absorption of calcium and stimulates absorption of phosphate and magnesium ions.

New research has found that chicken eggs are high in lutein and this substance is responsible for clear and sharp eyesight. Lutein is called a carotenoid vitamin that helps prevent eye diseases including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

A deficiency in lutein can cause destruction in the eye tissues and the eyesight irreversibly deteriorates.

4. The Risk Of Heart Disease Is Reduced

New research has shown that the cholesterol in eggs is balanced with phosphatides, which doesn't harm the health. It also stops the body's own cholesterol production and omega 3 fatty acids present in eggs help reduce triglyceride levels, thereby lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.

According to scientists, combining a low-calorie diet with eggs for breakfast will aid you in losing weight rapidly. This type of breakfast will keep your tummy full for a longer period of time and thus prevent you from overeating.

Having 2 eggs a day will give you a beautiful and glowing skin. The presence of biotin, vitamin B12, and digestible nourishing proteins in eggs will contribute to the strengthening of hair and skin.

Phospholipids contained in eggs will promote the elimination of toxins in the liver.

Eating two eggs a day will reduce the risk of cancer. According to a study, a woman whose daily diet includes eggs, the risk of developing breast cancer is decreased by 18 per cent.

This is due to the essential nutrient called choline found in eggs which is associated with a 24 per cent reduced risk of breast cancer.

The B vitamins found in eggs help in the formation of sex hormones. Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, helps in the formation of red blood cells and the neural tube of the foetus is formed. This reduces the child's chances of suffering from mental retardation.

This is why it is important for women to have eggs while planning a pregnancy. One chicken egg contains 7.0 mcg of vitamin B9.

If you liked reading this article, share it with your close ones.

ALSO READ: World Blood Donor Day 2018: Carrot-Apple-Pomegranate Juice For Hemoglobin And Weight Loss</s>After meeting Daimler’s CEO, Dieter Zetsche, Germany’s Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer has ordered the automaker to recall 774,000 diesel vehicles in Europe. “An immediate formal recall because of prohibited shutoff devices” is required for the Mercedes-Benz GLC and C-Class models, which join the already recalled Vito van.

The manufacturer will upgrade the engine and exhaust system control software of those vehicles, but no hardware fixes are planned. While the recall is definitely not good news for Daimler, it basically means it has escaped way more costly measures from the government such as financial fines, after “constructive” talks with Minister Andreas Scheuer.

Mercedes’ recall comes after Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) discovered five unapproved manipulating software devices in some of the company’s latest Euro 6 diesel engines. According to Bild am Sonntag newspaper, as much as one million vehicles are equipped with those so-called cheating devices.

However, Daimler is still denying that it has used “illegal switch-off devices” and has announced it would go to court if necessary to prove it’s not doing anything illegal. The affected compression ignition engine-powered vehicles are sold only in Europe.

With the new recall, Daimler is escaping massive fines of approximately $4.4 billion (estimated). According to specialist Arndt Ellinghorst, an analyst with Evercore ISI in London, the recall will cost the automaker less than $120 million.

This new recall follows a similar action by the manufacturer last year, when some three million vehicles were recalled for software updates. Similar campaigns were also organized by Volkswagen and BMW.

On a final note, Mercedes is currently inspecting and updating the software of 4,923 diesel-powered Vito vans sold worldwide.
Germany issues a recall of 73,000 eggs from the Netherlands suspected to be contaminated with fipronil.