Dioxin Scandal Hit The German Agriculture

In Germany, trying to figure out how to dioxin got into animal feed, and take action to stop the spread of questionable agricultural products. Has already closed about five thousand farms.

Philosophical question of what was at first – the chicken or the egg, the Germans decided to unexpected and unpleasant. It is in the eggs during a routine check found dioxin. Dangerous poison got there from hens who pecked, unaware of the poisoned food.

Now the answer to the question “Who is to blame?” seeking prosecution. It is already clear that the company supplying fats for animal feed, use toxic residues acids obtained with the release of bio diesel. The market got tens of thousands of tons of contaminated feed. Birds were immediately clog and close thousands of farms.

Holger Ayhele, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture of Germany: “To protect consumers, we have temporarily closed all the farms where contaminated products could reach. This is a really large number of enterprises. Hopefully in a couple of days, when the results investigation, many of them will be able to resume work.”

At present, the whole of Germany has already closed about five thousand poultry and pig farms. Poison, as it turned out, fed and hogs. They also go under the knife across the country. Direct victims were farmers, carrying huge losses. Many of them were on the verge of bankruptcy and require multimillion-dollar compensation. Assess the extent of the damage is not yet possible, because to keep the poison in the German border was not possible.

Frederic Vincent, spokesman for the EU Commission for Health: “The first batch of 3 December, which was about three tons of eggs, has been reworked into food and shipped to customers in the UK. We have already seen the final recipient address. In mid-December was shipped the second batch of 3.5 tons, and then the third, largest, 17.5 tons. Part of the production came to the Netherlands.

German imports of meat suspended as Slovakia and even the distant South Korea. Not long in coming and the reaction of customers.

Buyer: “Of course, all this is depressing, but I’m not afraid, just be less likely to eat eggs.”
Citizen of Germany: “I worry because of dioxin? Yes, I listen to the radio every morning, but it seems to me that the eggs I buy at the market are safe. But supermarkets – is another matter, there is nothing I will not buy.”

Officials calm: the level of dioxin in animal feed does not pose a risk to humans, farm closed as a precaution only, and supplies from them is prohibited until the inspection. But there are other opinions.

Christina Gross, a spokesman for the society to protect the rights of consumers: “Dioxin – a long-acting poison. This means that you do not die immediately after dioxin gets inside. It will slowly poison and weaken your body that may eventually lead to cancer.”

Allowable level of dioxin in eggs was exceeded by ten times, and it can be fraught with consequences. Already there are voices that today or tomorrow will poison in the milk and dairy products. Fears are not unfounded.

On the eve, it became known that the first evidence that a food contains an unacceptable concentration of dioxin, were obtained in one of the laboratories of the same company-feed producer in March last year. But this fact is hidden and continued to deliver food to the market. Are now feverishly trying to figure out who and how many got rid of poisoned products.