Monrovia – Ministry of Health, National Public Health Institute of Liberia and Ministry of Commerce were on August 23, 2017 alerted by the INFOSAN Secretariat that a consignment of chicken meat, egg and egg products contaminated with the pesticide fipronil, was headed to Liberia from Europe.
INFOSAN is the International Food Safety Authorities Network managed jointly by Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) with the secretariat in WHO.
Fipronil is a broad spectrum antibiotic that is used to control insects in the poultry industry.
When poultry products contaminated with this pesticide are ingested in high amount by humans, it can lead to liver and kidney damage.
Based on the alert notification, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia in collaboration with its partners, including Ministry of Health, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) launched a rapid investigation.
The investigation revealed that a company in France, Kalli Foods with suppliers, Chlodinia Skladowa PAGO Sp. z o.o., located in Poland, in August 2017 exported, 1060kg of frozen chicken bodies to Liberia that may have been possibly contaminated with this pesticide.
The consignment was expected to arrive in Liberia on October 5, 2017.
But due to the rapid alert team headed by NPHIL, the consignment has been recalled by Kalli food in France and will not land in Liberia.
NPHIL and partners will continue to keep surveillance on food and food related events in collaboration with its local and international partners for the safety of the Liberian population.
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