Public advised to avoid eating eggs or egg-laying poultry from near Hillhouse site

People are advised to avoid eating domestically produced eggs or egg-laying poultry from within 1km of an industrial site in Thornton.

The precautionary advice is linked to an ongoing investigation into historic contamination from part of the former ICI site, now operated by AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd, within the Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone.

The investigation concerns the chemical Perfluorooctanoic Acid – or PFOA – which is a member of a family of chemicals referred to as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).

PFOA has been linked to cancer – In December 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a World Health Organization (WHO) agency, classified PFOA as “carcinogenic to humans”.

PFOA was used on the site between the 1950s and 2012 as part of the manufacturing process and released to air.

Scientists have sampled eggs collected from a small number of domestic poultry keepers within 1km of the Hillhouse site to see whether they contain PFAS chemicals. The results confirm that PFAS levels in the eggs are elevated – primarily PFOA and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) – at levels above the recommended Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) threshold set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The Food Standards Agency has carried out a risk assessment with input from the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

The FSA has stated that eating one of these eggs per week could reach or go over the EFSA safe weekly limit. This risk increases further when PFAS that may be found in other foods are taken into consideration.

The advice from the Food Standards Agency is that people living within 1km of the Hillhouse site should not consume home-produced eggs and that birds kept for egg laying within 1km of the Hillhouse site should not enter the food chain.

This advice is issued on a precautionary basis.

The Food Standards Agency will provide updated advice as more information becomes available.

A spokesperson for the multi-agency group conducting the investigation, led by Wyre Council and carried out by the Environment Agency, said: “The risk assessment undertaken by the Food Standards Agency has concluded that certain PFAS – notably PFOA – are present in the eggs sampled at a level that could increase the risk of harm to human health.

“We have been in touch with the poultry keepers themselves and will write to all households within 1km of the Hillhouse site to share the Food Standards Agency advice. We will continue to liaise closely with the FSA on this matter.

“We understand this news is likely to cause concern in the community, but we would reassure people that the advice is issued on a precautionary basis to protect public health. This advice may be updated when additional research findings or new data become available.”

Community drop-in events will be held in the local area in early March to allow residents to speak to experts from organisations involved in the multi-agency investigation.