Brussels, 28/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - Dioxin contamination of batches of buffalo mozzarella from the Italian region of Campania is taken very seriously by the European Commission which, during the evening of Thursday 27 March, had even threatened to take measures to ban the product. The Commission rapidly lowered its tone, however, after the Italian government's announcement on Friday 28 March that it would do the necessary to recall any mozzarella likely to contain dioxin.
The Italian government has therefore taken the measures requested by the European Commission to avoid the marketing on EU markets of Italian buffalo mozzarella containing levels of dioxin higher than the permissible safety levels. This was announced on Friday 28 March in Naples by Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, cited by ANSA. “The government will this morning adopt concerted measures with the European Union to recall products that do not comply with standards to reassure Italian and foreign consumers”, the minister said. Mr D'Alema said: “This is a limited phenomenon and, once the measures are taken, we are convinced we shall give confidence back to all regarding the quality of a product that is a symbol of Italian gastronomy (…) and a fundamental product for the economy of Campania”. “None of the products with irregularities have been exported”, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry had asserted the day before. Last week, 83 buffalo farms were placed under surveillance after the discovery of dioxin levels that were slightly higher than permissible levels in the 25 establishments that use buffalo milk for producing cheese.
Given the Italian government's response, the Commission states it is “satisfied with the progress made by the Italian government” to resolve the mozzarella problem. The DG Health and Consumer Protection services therefore see “no reason for further action at EU level”. Italy has called on the European Commission for assistance in identifying the laboratories that are to perfect controls on the ground. Rome has also informed the Commission that: - controls in the Campania region have been stepped up; - further inspections are being carried out in the establishments where high dioxin levels have been found; - and trace-back and recall action has already begun with systematic checks performed in all dairy establishments located in Campania, with particular focus on the provinces of Caserta, Naples and Avellino.
On Thursday morning, the European Commission had sent a letter of formal notice to the Italian authorities calling on them to provide it with information that very day on contamination of batches of mozzarella. In the evening, they had considered measures taken by Rome insufficient. The Commission reproached Italy for not having ordered the recall of potentially contaminated products and for the fact that the surveillance programme set in place for farms in the region concerned of Campania was still too limited.
Given the doubts expressed the evening before by the European Commission on measures taken by the Italian authorities, Michel Barnier, French Agriculture Minister, had at one time contemplated calling for an immediate ban on the products concerned until further information was available. South Korea and Japan have imposed a temporary embargo and the Belgian health authorities have taken precautionary measures (intensified checks on this kind of buffalo mozzarella from Campania). (L.C.)