Dioxin eggs by pesticides?

Dioxin eggs by pesticides? Dioxin levels were exceeded 164 times

10.01.2011

The actual cause of dioxin-contaminated animal feed has most likely been found. According to the consumer protection organization „Food Watch“ The dioxin residues come with „high probability“ of plant protection products. The organization relies on an analysis made at the Harles and Jentzsch plant. Samples were taken at the company for the company's shipping company. „This frequency analysis of various dioxin and furan compounds in the sample, which is foodwatch, indicates residues of a chlorophenol compound used as a fungicide. Other possible dioxin sources such as heating processes can therefore be largely excluded. The analyzed feed fat sample was contaminated with 123 nanograms of dioxin per kilogram - thus exceeding the legal maximum of 0.75 ng / kg by 164 times.“, so food watch.

No official confirmation for the results
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture did not want to comment on the results of the consumer advocates. A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture in Schleswig-Holstein told the NDR that there is currently no official confirmation for this information. The government-led investigations are still ongoing. However, Foodwatch claims that these results are already available. Certain chemical compounds, according to the Consumer Initiative, indicate residues of a pentachlorophenol compound used as a fungal toxin. This connection may no longer be made in Germany since 1986. Since 1989, the trade and the application is no longer allowed by law. The consumer protection organization also found that the legally required dioxin value in the samples evaluated was exceeded by 164 times.

Serious negligence of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
Foodwatch accuses Federal Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner of massive failures. Before meeting with representatives of the feed industry this Monday, foodwatch CEO Thilo Bode called on Federal Consumer Minister Ilse Aigner to finally tackle the obvious shortcomings in animal feed production at its roots. „The current debate on the ban on feed companies or the separation between the production of feed and industrial feeds only prevents a real solution. Ms. Aigner's proposals cover only the poisoners in the feed industry instead of closing the obvious system vulnerabilities as they would, "criticized Foodwatch chairman Thilo Bode. „The Minister must oblige companies by law to test each batch of each feed ingredient for dioxin itself and to prove this to the authorities. If the limit value is exceeded, the batch must be destroyed. Only such a test and disposal obligation for the companies creates the necessary feed and food safety - because state inspectors, even if there were ten times as many as before, can only take random samples. "

Today Krisenspitzentreffen in Berlin
To discuss the consequences, today meets the Federal Agriculture Minister Augner with top representatives of agricultural producers. According to the minister she expected „concrete proposals“, to prevent future Dixion contaminated food. Aigner himself suggests increasing the safety of the feed chain. One must "clarify whether certain companies that supply feed materials must be subjected to a more stringent authorization," said Aigner the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" (SZ). For their part, the farmers are calling for a relief fund financed by the feed sector to compensate for the losses. However, the Minister was reluctant to do so.

High levels of dioxin were not noticed in controls
According to Foodwatch, the high burden of official controls in July 2010 was not noticed in the current case, although according to Foodwatch, the dioxin levels at the feed company since March last year were known. So far, there is no legal obligation for companies to carry out tests themselves. „A test and disposal obligation for the companies also prevents the widespread, illegal practice of mixing individual batches that are too heavily loaded with other ingredients, in order to reduce the overall load of the compound feed below the permissible limit ", says foodwatch CEO Bode (foodwatch, sb).

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Picture: M. Grossmann