Brussels, 04/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is seeking to be reassuring. Having been alerted by Germany of dioxin contamination of meat and eggs, it is monitoring the situation very closely. According to information received from the German Consumer Ministry, none of the contaminated products was exported to other EU member states. The Commission, however, wants to make absolutely sure.
“The rapid alert system (Ed: RASFF - Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) was activated by Germany on 28 December. The Commission and German authorities have been in discussion again today. It would seem that the problem does not go beyond Germany,” Frédéric Vincent, spokesman for Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli said on Tuesday 4 January.
A letter was sent the same day to the German Federal Agriculture Ministry to ensure that the contaminated products can be fully traced. The Commission wants to know where exactly these products were distributed and to how many farms, the spokesman said. Initially two Länder discovered contaminated eggs in battery farms and contaminated feed in turkey and pig farms. Now five Länder (Nordrhein-Westfalen, Niedersachsen, Thürngen, Sachs-Anhalt and Schelswigholstein) have been affected. (A.N./transl.rt)