UK Monitors Situation As Ireland Recalls Pork Products Tainted With Dioxins

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Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Veterinary;  Water - Air Quality / Agriculture
Article Date: 07 Dec 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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After Ireland ordered a recall of locally produced pork products which may be tainted with cancer-causing toxins, UK authorities say they are monitoring the situation with Irish authorities. The United Kingdom imports approximately half of all Ireland's pork product exports.

According to a spokesperson for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK, people need not be overly worried. The spokesman told Reuters that it is not an immediate toxic risk. The problems with dioxins occur when consumption happens over a long period. In this case, the problem started in September.

The FSA said it will decide what to do as soon as it has received more data from Irish authorities. According to the facts the FSA has received so far, it does not believe there will be a significant risk to UK consumers.

According to Irish authorities, laboratory tests carried out yesterday showed feed and pork fat samples contained up to 80 to 200 times the legal safety limits.

The contaminated feed is only consumed by 10% of Irish pigs, says the Irish Association of Pigmeat Processors. The Association stressed that the full recall of pigmeat products from 1 September is a comprehensive precautionary step.

Professor Alan Boobis, Toxicologist, Imperial College London, agreed that the current risk to human health is low. He explained to Reuters that exposure over a relatively short period would have very little impact on human health.

The Irish Government announced today that the contamination source has been contained. It says just one small feed supplier had the tainted animal feed, which went on to contaminate the pigs. The supplier has been contained and is in the process of being withdrawn.

The Irish Association of Pigmeat Processors (IAPP) says it is working closely with Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Ireland) and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

A press release issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said "We recognise the intent of the full recall is to move quickly to reassure consumers that the limited amount of product in the overall system that may have contamination is thoroughly dealt with immediately. We also understand that one small feed supplier is concerned and that the feed source concerned has been contained and is in the process of being withdrawn."

Sources - Reuters, Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
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