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| Food body says 'avoid Irish pork' | Food body says 'avoid Irish pork' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Pork from the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland should not be eaten at the moment due to contamination fears, the Food Standards Agency has said. | Pork from the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland should not be eaten at the moment due to contamination fears, the Food Standards Agency has said. |
| The advice follows the Irish government's recall of pork products made in the Republic since September. | The advice follows the Irish government's recall of pork products made in the Republic since September. |
| Dioxins were found in pigs thought to have eaten contaminated feed on 56 farms - nine in Northern Ireland. | Dioxins were found in pigs thought to have eaten contaminated feed on 56 farms - nine in Northern Ireland. |
| The UK's Food Standards Agency said it did not believe at this stage that UK consumers faced any "significant risk". | The UK's Food Standards Agency said it did not believe at this stage that UK consumers faced any "significant risk". |
| The FSA said: "Adverse health effects from eating the affected products are only likely if people are exposed to relatively high levels of this contaminant for long periods." | The FSA said: "Adverse health effects from eating the affected products are only likely if people are exposed to relatively high levels of this contaminant for long periods." |
| Tests on the slaughtered Irish pigs showed some pork products contained up to 200 times more dioxins than the recognised safety limit. Q&A: The recall of Irish pork | Tests on the slaughtered Irish pigs showed some pork products contained up to 200 times more dioxins than the recognised safety limit. Q&A: The recall of Irish pork |
| Food safety expert Professor Hugh Pennington told the BBC the health risk was "very, very low". | Food safety expert Professor Hugh Pennington told the BBC the health risk was "very, very low". |
| He said: "You have to have a lot of these compounds. You have to eat a lot of them, enormous amounts to have any visible effect." | He said: "You have to have a lot of these compounds. You have to eat a lot of them, enormous amounts to have any visible effect." |
| But consumers and retailers have been warned to destroy all Irish pork and bacon products bought since 1 September as a precaution. | But consumers and retailers have been warned to destroy all Irish pork and bacon products bought since 1 September as a precaution. |
| Bacon, ham, sausages, white pudding and pizzas with ham toppings are also included in the withdrawal of stocks. | Bacon, ham, sausages, white pudding and pizzas with ham toppings are also included in the withdrawal of stocks. |
| The British Retail Consortium said that supermarkets across England, Scotland and Wales withdrew from sale "the very small proportion" of Irish pork they stocked following advice from the FSA. | The British Retail Consortium said that supermarkets across England, Scotland and Wales withdrew from sale "the very small proportion" of Irish pork they stocked following advice from the FSA. |
| 'Refunds offered' | 'Refunds offered' |
| A spokesman for the industry body said most imports came from Holland and Denmark but 80% of fresh pork joints sold were produced in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. | A spokesman for the industry body said most imports came from Holland and Denmark but 80% of fresh pork joints sold were produced in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. |
| Discount supermarket Lidl said half of its stores had removed "own-brand" black pudding and pork belly products sourced from the Irish Republic from their shelves. | Discount supermarket Lidl said half of its stores had removed "own-brand" black pudding and pork belly products sourced from the Irish Republic from their shelves. |
| A spokesman added that half of Lidl's stores had stocked these products and refunds are being offered to people who had bought the products. | A spokesman added that half of Lidl's stores had stocked these products and refunds are being offered to people who had bought the products. |
| Tesco has removed its own-brand pork, bacon and sausages from its shelves as these are sourced from Northern Ireland. The supermarket said customers will be refunded. | |
| Waitrose has withdrawn two sausage lines sold under Northern Irish celebrity chef Paul Rankin's brand as a precaution, although a spokeswoman for the supermarket stressed that the origin of the meat was still being checked. | Waitrose has withdrawn two sausage lines sold under Northern Irish celebrity chef Paul Rankin's brand as a precaution, although a spokeswoman for the supermarket stressed that the origin of the meat was still being checked. |
| Other supermarkets contacted by BBC News said they were continuing to check their supplies. | Other supermarkets contacted by BBC News said they were continuing to check their supplies. |
| The FSA said it had organised an "urgent" meeting of the UK food industry as part of its own investigations. | The FSA said it had organised an "urgent" meeting of the UK food industry as part of its own investigations. |
| Banned substance | Banned substance |
| Dioxins are formed during combustion processes, such as waste incineration, and during some industrial processes. | Dioxins are formed during combustion processes, such as waste incineration, and during some industrial processes. |
| Suspicions over contamination were first raised on Monday as a result of the routine testing of pigs, which indicated the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - banned in the Irish Republic since the 1970s - in animal feed. | Suspicions over contamination were first raised on Monday as a result of the routine testing of pigs, which indicated the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - banned in the Irish Republic since the 1970s - in animal feed. |
| The source of the contamination is believed to be a licensed mill which manufactures animal feed. | The source of the contamination is believed to be a licensed mill which manufactures animal feed. |
| The chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Alan Reilly, said investigations were still under way into how the contamination got in to the animal feed. | The chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Alan Reilly, said investigations were still under way into how the contamination got in to the animal feed. |
| He said: "It's more than likely from the types of dioxins that we have that it looks like some kind of industrial oil or industrial contaminant and we're trying to find out where that came from." | He said: "It's more than likely from the types of dioxins that we have that it looks like some kind of industrial oil or industrial contaminant and we're trying to find out where that came from." |
| He added that culling of animals was likely in order to remove them from the food chain. | He added that culling of animals was likely in order to remove them from the food chain. |
| Restrictions were placed on a number of pig farms and tests on pork samples confirmed the presence of dioxins on Saturday afternoon. | Restrictions were placed on a number of pig farms and tests on pork samples confirmed the presence of dioxins on Saturday afternoon. |
| Chronic long-term exposure to dioxins can have serious health effects, including causing cancers, but Irish officials said the recall would ensure consumers only had minimum exposure to it. | Chronic long-term exposure to dioxins can have serious health effects, including causing cancers, but Irish officials said the recall would ensure consumers only had minimum exposure to it. |
| The country's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said anyone who had eaten pig meat did not need to seek medical help. | The country's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said anyone who had eaten pig meat did not need to seek medical help. |
| Threat to industry | Threat to industry |
| The Irish minister for agriculture, Brendan Smith, said the problem in the Republic was confined to 47 farms. | The Irish minister for agriculture, Brendan Smith, said the problem in the Republic was confined to 47 farms. |
| He said: "This includes 38 beef farms. This is the total number of farms identified as having received possible contaminated animal feed. There is only one feed supplier involved." | He said: "This includes 38 beef farms. This is the total number of farms identified as having received possible contaminated animal feed. There is only one feed supplier involved." |
| Mr Reilly said: "The levels in the feed were very high. The levels in the pork itself were in the region of about 80-200 times above the safe limits." | Mr Reilly said: "The levels in the feed were very high. The levels in the pork itself were in the region of about 80-200 times above the safe limits." |
| Labour Party spokesman on agriculture and food, Sean Sherlock, said the government's priority had to be consumers but said the scare was a "threat to the viability of our food industry". | Labour Party spokesman on agriculture and food, Sean Sherlock, said the government's priority had to be consumers but said the scare was a "threat to the viability of our food industry". |
| Padraig Walshe, president of the Irish Farmers' Association, described the recall as "an absolute disaster" for the pig farming sector, but said fewer than 10% of products on the market had been processed since 1 September. | Padraig Walshe, president of the Irish Farmers' Association, described the recall as "an absolute disaster" for the pig farming sector, but said fewer than 10% of products on the market had been processed since 1 September. |
| "It will be possible to have fresh product - and totally safe product - on the shelves within a couple of days," he said. | "It will be possible to have fresh product - and totally safe product - on the shelves within a couple of days," he said. |
| Are you a pig farmer in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland or employed in the pork industry? Please send your comment using the form below: | Are you a pig farmer in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland or employed in the pork industry? Please send your comment using the form below: |