At least 20 tonnes of insecticide-tainted eggs have been sold in Denmark, the country’s food safety authority says.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said in a statement, the boiled and peeled eggs were mainly sold to cafeterias, cafes and catering companies.

Denmark is the latest European country to discover eggs contaminated fipronil in its food chain.

According to specialists, the insecticide can damage people’s kidneys, liver and thyroid glands if eaten in large quantities.

However, the Danish food administration urged calm, saying the eggs bought by Danæg Products posed no risk to human consumption.

“Samples analyzed in the Netherlands show traces of fipronil in the eggs, but not as a health hazard,” the agency said.

“Because the content is illegal, Danæg Products must withdraw the eggs from their customers.”

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Denmark is believed to be the tenth country to be affected, with Romania and Luxembourg among the latest to report finding contaminated products.

On August 10, Romanian authorities said that one tonne of liquid egg yolk contaminated with fipronil had been found in a warehouse in the west of the country.

The product was imported from Germany but had not been sold to consumers, food safety officials said.

Two company managers have been arrested during joint raids by the authorities in Belgium and the Netherlands, as the scandal involving insecticide-tainted eggs widens.

The company- named as Chickfriend by local media – allegedly used fipronil at poultry farms, prosecutors said.

Fipronil is banned from use in the food industry under EU rules.