Korea has been hit by the same problem that
has beset Europe in recent days.
An insecticide has been detected in eggs,...
prompting the government to stop shipments
from hundreds of farms.
Korea's major retailers and convenience store
chains have already pulled all eggs from their
shelves as a precautionary measure.
Lee Unshin reports.
Sales of eggs have been halted at most of
Korea's major chain stores in response to
the government's warning that banned insecticide
had been found in eggs at a local farm.
Korea's three biggest retailers -- Lotte Mart,
E-mart and Homeplus -- and convenience chain
stores like GS 25, CU and Seven Eleven...
announced on Tuesday that they have stopped
selling eggs at their branches.
Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs said it had found fipronil,
a type of insecticide,... in some eggs at
a farm in northeastern Gyeonggi-do Province.
Fipronil is often used on dogs and cats to
treat fleas and ticks.
But use of the chemical on cows, pigs or chickens
is banned in Korea...as it can cause liver
or kidney damage in humans when it's consumed.
The ministry immediately banned egg shipments
from poultry farms with more than 3,000 chickens
to conduct inspections.
Once complete, officials will move on to smaller
farms.
The government expects it will take about
a week to check eggs in all of the nation's
farms.
A spokesperson for E-mart stressed that it
hasn't ever ordered eggs from the affected
farm,... but decided to remove all the eggs
from its shelves as a precautionary measure.
There are concerns tainted eggs could've already
entered the market,... spreading to restaurants...or
used as ingredients in processed foods like
baked goods.
Lee Unshin, Arirang News.
And as a follow up to that report...
Agriculture Minister Kim Yung-rok says that,
given the current situation,... only a quarter
of the usual amount of eggs will be sent to
local markets on a daily basis starting today.
The minister added that the government is
working to complete a full inspection into
all egg farms within three days.
