CAIRO - Shares in Egypt's Juhayna Food Industries JUFO.CA dropped sharply in early trading on Sunday after the company said a second top official had been called for questioning and detained.

The company, Egypt's largest dairy products and juices producer, confirmed the detention of CEO and deputy chairman Seifeldin Thabet in a disclosure to Egypt's bourse regarding a pending investigation into his father, ex-chairman Safwan Thabet, who was arrested in December. 

"The company has no further information regarding the detention/investigation to disclose at this point," Juhayna said.

It said the investigation against Safwan Thabet regarded "personal accusations unrelated to the company".

Juhayna's shares dropped by 17% as trading opened on Sunday before recovering slightly to be 10.85% down at their opening price at 0900 GMT.

Security sources told Reuters in December that Juhayna's chairman was detained for alleged "financial irregularities". The Interior Ministry has not commented.

After Safwan Thabet's arrest, Juhayna appointed his son, Seifeldin, as acting chairman. It later appointed Mohamed el-Dogheim as chairman.

In 2015 a judicial committee established by the government issued a decision ordering the seizure of Safwan Thabet's assets due to alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Egypt.

(Reporting by Ehab Farouk and Patrick Werr; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Elaine Hardcastle) ((Aidan.Lewis@tr.com; +20-1001174410;))