A scientist in Münster, northwest Germany, tests eggs for a toxic pesticide. Millions of eggs have been removed from supermarket shelves in Europe

Germany will protest to Brussels today after Belgian food safety authorities failed to warn neighbouring countries that eggs had been contaminated with a potentially poisonous insecticide.

Supermarkets in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium have removed millions of eggs after fipronil, a toxic pesticide, was found on Dutch, Belgian and French poultry farms.

Christian Schmidt, the German agriculture minister, will call Denis Ducarme, his Belgian counterpart, to demand an explanation for Belgium’s failure to inform other countries that there was a public health problem.

“Somebody must have had criminal intentions when they contaminated eggs with a banned product,” Mr Schmidt said. “I expect the relevant authorities to look into this quickly and in great depth. Belgium and the Netherlands in particular are obliged to.”

One German