This despite Lusa News Agency claiming to have seen a list from the European Commission (EC) that states Portugal is one of 26 countries affected by the selling or distribution of pesticide-contaminated eggs.
Just last month, agriculture officials in Portugal moved to quell fears about contaminated eggs reaching supermarket shelves here, saying none of the affected lots were ever destined for this country.
The case that was recently reported to national authorities, the government stressed this week, involved a Portuguese national who bought contaminated eggs in Belgium.
A source from the Ministry of Agriculture said that “in Portugal no contaminated eggs were produced nor were products made from contaminated egg products detected”, and explained: “What occurred was a transaction in Belgium of eggs that were flagged.”
This comes after the EU’s executive arm said it took Belgian authorities around a month to notify European authorities about the discovery of eggs contaminated with an insecticide used to disinfect chicken coups.
Initially, national authorities said the contaminated eggs were only circulated in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Denmark.
Dozens of poultry farms in Belgium and the Netherlands have been investigated amid the hunt for eggs containing Fipronil, which is dangerous to human health.
Millions of eggs have been pulled from stores in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, while Britain, France, Sweden and Switzerland have been warned that contaminated eggs might be on their territories.
European Commission spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva said “no information about this contamination incident was provided” until 20 July. She said EU states “have a legal obligation” to notify the commission immediately if they have information about a threat to human health.
Most recent data shows that in the EU, only Croatia and Lithuania remain free of reported cases of contaminated eggs, in an outbreak that now also affects Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Russia.
A week ago the EC said a total of 34 countries, most of them within Europe, have been affected by the situation.