Kitchenware company Villeroy & Boch is looking into claims that the give-away saucepans currently on offer at Albert Heijn supermarkets are killing pet birds, according to the Telegraaf.

Earlier this week, Cynthia Harms reported that her two birds dropped dead after the fried pickled cabbage (zuurkool) in one of the pans with a non-stick coating. After making an emotional appeal on Facebook, several other ‘victims’ came forward.

One woman from Assendelft claimed her pet bird died the first time she used one of the pans. ‘I am very careful. I don’t even use scented candles at home,’ the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said. ‘It is quite a coincidence that this happened at the same time.’

Albert Heijn issued a statement saying it saw no reason to end the scheme. ‘The pans are completely safe for humans and animals,’ the company said on Facebook.

‘The problem is the way the pans are being heated, not the pans themselves,’ spokeswoman Els van Dijk said in the Telegraaf. ‘The pans are safe for people but birds can be sensitive to the fumes which may be released when food is being prepared.’

Earlier, Albert Heijn faced complaints about its give-away knives, which some said were too sharp, and about its crystal glasses that did not contain enough lead.