Aurich Dioxin in eggs from ground husbandry

Renewed detection of dioxin eggs in the district of Aurich

09/08/2012

After last week in free-range eggs of a farm from the district of Aurich increased dioxin and PCB levels have been detected, the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety has also discovered in official samples from the farm in East Frisia, a limit value in the eggs from the farming. Now both areas - outdoor and ground husbandry - of laying hens operation are officially closed, reports the Lower Saxony Ministry of Consumer Protection.

The marketing of dioxin burdened „Eggs, which in this case are exclusively regional, were immediately banned by the district“, This is the current report from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Consumer Protection and Regional Development in view of the renewed dioxin detection. Affected are eggs with the stamp number 2-DE-0357411. Before eating the loaded eggs is urgently warned. The cause of the contamination has so far been completely unclear.

Significant exceedance of the threshold of eggs from land keeping
In the course of „Examinations on a maximum exceedance of the sum value from dioxin and dioxin-like PCB in free range eggs in the district of Aurich in the past week were again exceeded today in official samples“, so the official message from the Ministry. The eggs of the ground husbandry of the company were also affected. Here, the loads with total values ​​of up to 40.86 picograms per gram of egg fat even reached almost five times the values ​​measured last week. The permissible limit is only five picograms of dioxin and dioxin-like PCB per gram of egg fat.

Long-term health risk from dioxins
According to the data of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Consumer Protection, applies „a health risk to the consumer in case of a short-term consumption as unlikely“, but be „preventable additional burden with dioxins and PCB generally not tolerate.“ Because the environmental toxin can hardly be degraded by the human organism, so that in the course of life absorbed PCB and dioxin accumulate in the body. This threatens far-reaching health consequences, such as impaired fertility or an increased risk of miscarriages and malformations in the offspring. In addition, dioxin and PCB are considered as possible causes of cancer. „Consumption of eggs still in the consumer is therefore discouraged“, warns the ministry.

Increased exceedances of limit for dioxin and PCB
The improved reporting requirement for exceedance of limit values ​​introduced after the dioxin scandal in 2011 meant that increased levels of dioxin in eggs were reported more frequently in recent months. This last one farm in the district of Oldenburg, three farms in the district of Aurich and a farm from the North Rhine-Westphalian district Borken were affected. The declarations also make it clear how compliance with the limits for dioxin and PCBs as a whole has been ordered. Thus, at least in the companies where the contamination originated not from the feed but from the soil or substrate or the insulating material, corresponding burdens probably already existed earlier. However, they have only now noticed.

How the current dioxin contamination of the eggs occurred in the district of Aurich, the competent authorities could not yet clarify. „An entry cause has not yet been determined but is vigorously pursued“, according to the report of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Consumer Protection and Regional Development. (Fp)

Also read:
Dioxin eggs: soil excretes as a source
Dioxin in eggs: scandal seems to be widening
Health risk from dioxin eggs

Picture: siepmannH