10 marzo 2009

Dioxin found in Irish milk

After the meat scandal, a new dioxin alarm has risen in Northern Ireland, where illegal levels of the dioxin have been found in milk produced at two dairy farms.
The contamination originated from dioxins which accumulated in the fat of the dairy cattle fed with contaminated feed.

The same contaminated feed caused the contamination of beef and pork meat in Ireland at the end of 2008.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has not called for a withdrawal of milk already distributed in the market across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, but the farms involved have been blocked and the milk produced by them will be tested and restricted until it complies with the law.
The FSA spokesman stated that the milk from these farms is usually mixed with milk from other farms before sale, so any finished product on the market is likely to be diluted and well within the legal limits for dioxins. The same spokesman said that the risk to health from either drinking the affected milk or eating derived products is extremely low.
Despite the calming words of the authorities, this news confirms once again the importance of a continue control in raw materials as well as in final products.

Links:

http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/feb/dioxinfoundinmilk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7874474.stm