Toxic chemical dioxin found in German eggs

Eggs from three farms in Germany have been found to contain higher than permitted levels of the toxic chemical dioxin, the state’s Agriculture Ministry confirmed last week.

Test results from an organic farm in the North Rhine Westphalia region of Ostwestfalen-Lippe, first found levels of dioxin in eggs up to six times over the limit in April.

Dioxins are a group of chemical commonly formed as by-products from chemical processes and can have adverse effects on humans if they consumed at high levels over long periods of time.

Consumers were warned to avoid eggs from the farm, after it was reported that 7,000 eggs from the farm had already leaked into the food chain.

Since then the ministry said that dioxin has been found at two other farms in the region and sales of affected eggs have now been halted.

The main source of dioxin contamination is polluted animal feed, but experts have ruled out this possible source of transmission and so far tests have been unable to pin down the exact cause.

Tougher EU rules for animal feed producers will apply from September this year, after it was revealed the last dioxin contamination in Germany, in 2011 was caused by animal feed supplied by a fat blender to German farms.