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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| EU warns Italy over cheese scare | EU warns Italy over cheese scare |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Italy has not done enough to ensure contaminated mozzarella cheese does not reach consumers, the European Commission has said. | Italy has not done enough to ensure contaminated mozzarella cheese does not reach consumers, the European Commission has said. |
| It has warned Italy to take further urgent action, or risk a ban on exports of the cheese from the Campania region. | It has warned Italy to take further urgent action, or risk a ban on exports of the cheese from the Campania region. |
| Higher than permitted levels of dioxin, which can cause cancer, had been found at some mozzarella producers. | Higher than permitted levels of dioxin, which can cause cancer, had been found at some mozzarella producers. |
| Italy says it has traced the farms at the source of the contamination, and destroyed their milk. | Italy says it has traced the farms at the source of the contamination, and destroyed their milk. |
| But in a statement, the European Commission said those measures did not go far enough: | But in a statement, the European Commission said those measures did not go far enough: |
| "No recall of product potentially contaminated has been carried out, and the surveillance programme on the farms of the Campania region is still too limited." | "No recall of product potentially contaminated has been carried out, and the surveillance programme on the farms of the Campania region is still too limited." |
| The statement went on to say that if further action was inadequate, the Commission would consider proposing "safeguard measures" for dairy products originating from the Campania region. | |
| Correspondents say that would normally mean an export ban. | Correspondents say that would normally mean an export ban. |
| Japan and South Korea have already imposed an import ban on the cheese. | Japan and South Korea have already imposed an import ban on the cheese. |
| Media frenzy | Media frenzy |
| Italy says it has contained the problem, and insists there is no food scare. | Italy says it has contained the problem, and insists there is no food scare. |
| Officials told the Commission that 130 mozzarella production sites have been checked and dioxins above the EU limit were found at 25 of them. | Officials told the Commission that 130 mozzarella production sites have been checked and dioxins above the EU limit were found at 25 of them. |
| The buffalo farms supplying those sites were traced and the milk was destroyed. | The buffalo farms supplying those sites were traced and the milk was destroyed. |
| Eating pieces of the cheese for the cameras, the Italian agriculture minister, Paolo De Castro, told journalists there was no health risk, and blamed the scare on a media frenzy. | Eating pieces of the cheese for the cameras, the Italian agriculture minister, Paolo De Castro, told journalists there was no health risk, and blamed the scare on a media frenzy. |
| "The checks have revealed a limited number of cases, 83 out of 1,900 (dairy farms), and the produce has been seized," he said. | "The checks have revealed a limited number of cases, 83 out of 1,900 (dairy farms), and the produce has been seized," he said. |
| Toxic waste | Toxic waste |
| The contamination emerged last week, when buffalo herds in the Naples area of Campania region showed milk contamination after spot checks. | The contamination emerged last week, when buffalo herds in the Naples area of Campania region showed milk contamination after spot checks. |
| Police are investigating whether feed given to herds around the city of Naples was tainted. | Police are investigating whether feed given to herds around the city of Naples was tainted. |
| It's believed the cause is toxic waste, illegally dumped by criminals on agricultural land used for pasture. | It's believed the cause is toxic waste, illegally dumped by criminals on agricultural land used for pasture. |
| The Naples area has a chronic waste-management problem, made worse by the dumping of illegal industrial waste, much of it toxic, transported from Italy's industrial north. | The Naples area has a chronic waste-management problem, made worse by the dumping of illegal industrial waste, much of it toxic, transported from Italy's industrial north. |
| Mozzarella production is big business in Italy, with herds of a quarter of a million buffalo producing a total of 33,000 tonnes of mozzarella cheese each year, 16% of which is exported. | Mozzarella production is big business in Italy, with herds of a quarter of a million buffalo producing a total of 33,000 tonnes of mozzarella cheese each year, 16% of which is exported. |