Dioxin-Contaminated Pork From Ireland: Update #5

Some Irish Pork Back In Shops

UPDATED December 13, 2008

(Original article posted December 11, 2008)

The Irish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, together with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, announced yesterday that controls are now in place that allow the following Irish pork products to be reintroduced to the marketplace. Products approved for sale will carry a special label.

• Pork and pork products processed from pigs slaughtered prior to September 1st.
  
• Pork and pork products processed from pigs slaughtered after December 7th.
  
• Pork and pork products processed from pigs that did not originate from any of the herds that had been exposed to dioxin-contaminated feed.
  

The UK Food Standards Agency has determined that no Northern Ireland pork was exposed to the contaminated feed. Retailers, manufacturers and caterers may offer Irish pork to consumers once more, as long as they are able to trace the origin of the pork to an unaffected farm. Composite pork products – containing 20% or less Irish pork – may be sold. Pork from Irish pigs slaughtered between September 1st and December 7th will be tested for dioxin and approved for sale if the meat is compliant with EU standards for dioxin in pork.

Belgium has announced five additional recalls of food products that consist of, or contain more than 1%, Irish pork meat. These are:

• SPAR brand smoked bacon, 125g
  
• CARREFOUR brand Saxe Flinterdun shredded filet
  
• ZWAN brand "Frank" sausages, package of 6
  
• FRESH CONCEPT brand mortedella, distributed by Carrefour, Cora, Delfood (Louis Delhaize, Louis l'épicier), Match & Smatch, Alvo, Spar & Eurospar, Carrefour Express, GB Carrefour, GB Express, GB Contact and GB Partner NEW Dec 13
• MATCH and SMATCH brands of pork sausage and chorizo NEW Dec 13

Romania is tracking approximately 120 tons of dioxin-contaminated Irish pork that entered the country since September 1st. The suspect pork entered Romania from several countries, including Hungary, Belgium, Poland and France. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has advised consumers that it has no record of pork products or animal feed from the Republic of Ireland having been imported into Canada. Neither FDA nor USDA have made a corresponding announcement.

The dioxin incident appears to be well in hand. The Republic of Ireland and the European Food Safety Agency acted quickly to contain the situation and evaluate the risk to consumers. 

The investigation into how dioxin entered the animal feed is continuing, and we'll report on the progress as information becomes available.

Irish Pork Crosses Atlantic Ocean

Updated December 12, 2008

(Original article posted December 11, 2008)

USDA has announce three separate recalls of pork and pork products that were derived from Irish pigs slaughtered or processed between September 1st and December 7th and may be contaminated with dioxin.

Tommy Moloney's Inc. (Long Island City, NY)

The company is recalling 4,041 pounds of bacon, due to the risk of dioxin contamination. The bacon was made using pork produced in the Republic of Ireland between September 1st and December 7th.

The recalled item is described as follows:

• 8-ounce packages of "Tommy Moloney's Traditional Irish Breakfast Bacon, Made from imported Irish Pork." The label bears the establishment number "EST. 33789" inside the U.S. mark of inspection as well as a "sell by" date between "Dec. 15, 2008" and "Jan. 31, 2009."
  

The recalled products were distributed in California, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Virginia.

For more information about this recall, consumers are invited to contact Tommy Moloney's President, Bill Colbert, at (718) 326-2100.

The following retailers have announced a recall of the Tommy Moloney's bacon:

• Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC (stores throughout MA, CT, RI, ME, NH, NY, NJ): all codes of Tommy Moloney's Irish Breakfast Bacon, 8 oz. packages, UPC #08-52487-00109 bearing a "sell by" date between December 15, 2008 and January 31, 2009 NEW Dec 12
  

Rupari Food Services (Deerfield Beach, FL)

Rupari has recalled approximately 41,020 pounds of fresh pork products, which were imported from Ireland and have been shipped to restaurants in California. The recalled products are described as follows:

• 44-pound approximate weight boxes of "ROSDERRA MEATS, ROSCREA, Pork Loin Back Ribs, KEEP FROZEN." The shipping label bears the Irish establishment number "EST NO. 355."
  

For more information about this recall, contact Rupari's manager, Robert Mintz, at (954) 480-6320.

Dawn International (Acton, MA)

The company has recalled 33,880 pounds of fresh pork products, which were imported from Ireland and shipped to distribution centers in Florida.

The recalled product is described as follows:

• 30-pound cartons of "DAWN PORK & BACON, PORK LOIN BACK RIBS, PRODUCT OF REPUBLIC OF IRELAND." The shipping label bears the Irish mark of inspection "IRELAND 332 EC."
  

Consumers seeking additional information are requested to contact the Irish Embassy representative, Dr. Clare Thorp, at (202) 716-2369.

USDA considers the health risk associated with these recalled product to be low, and has classified the recalls as Class II. The agency, therefore, will not be posting retail distribution lists.

Dioxin-Contaminated Pork From Ireland: Update #4

What's Being Done?

December 10, 2008

As the Republic of Ireland continues its investigation into dioxin contamination, its international customers are taking their own actions to protect local consumers. Following is a summary of what has been learned in the past 24 hours, and what is being done.

Republic of Ireland

After learning that dioxin-contaminated feed had been supplied to 45 cattle farms in the Irish Republic, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF) put a hold on cattle from all 45 farms and began to test each herd for non-dioxin like PCBs – a test used as a preliminary screen for dioxin. Eight of the first 11 herds tested were completely clean. The other three herds were contaminated with low levels of non-dioxin like PCBs – far lower than the quantities found in samples of pork. 

DAFF is continuing to screen the remaining 34 herds of cattle, but is optimistic that most will prove to be cleared. And the Chief Veterinary Officer is scheduled to meet with his EU colleagues today to brief them on the status of Irish beef and live cattle, and assure them of its safety.

Investigators may have a handle on how dioxins entered the animal feed. The Irish EPA has determined that the oil used in a burner to generate heat in order to process waste food into animal feed was "inappropriate" and not approved for that use. Millstream Recycling, the feed processor, insists that it purchased its oil only from "legitimate sources" in the Republic of Ireland. 

The search for the source of the offending oil seems to be leading to a company in County Tyrone, which stores or incinerates waste oil from electricity transformers under license. It's unclear, as yet, how that oil might have found its way to Millstream Recycling – or how dioxins generated by heating the oil might have traveled into the animal feed.

The United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland)

Nine cattle farms in Northern Ireland were supplied with feed from Millstream Recycling. The UK Food Standards Agency is conducting tests on the affected herds. Pending results of those tests – and of the concurrent tests being carried out by the Republic of Ireland – FSA has put a hold on livestock and carcasses from the affected herds in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

FSA also has posted a list of meat processors in Ireland and Northern Ireland that received potentially contaminated pork. Investigations are still underway to determine which of the Northern Ireland processors received the contaminated pork. And, as part of its recall of Irish pork products, FSA has provided consumers with a list of UK companies (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) that received pork from one or more of the listed meat processors.

Russia

The government has announced a ban on pork and pork products from Ireland as a result of the dioxin contamination. It's unknown how much of the meat has entered Russia.

People's Republic of China

The importation of all pork products and animal feeds from the Republic of Ireland has been suspended. The government has alerted its inspectors to recall the more than 2,000 tons of Irish pork that was imported into China since September 1st.

Sweden

After being alerted to the dioxin contamination problem, Findus, a Swedish food company, announced its own recall of food products that might contain Irish pork. Servera, a food wholesaler and customer of Findus, determined that it may have supplied recalled Findus products to as many as 152 of its customers, including several schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Servera is in the process of tracking the affected products – Swedish meatballs and "Biff Lindstrom – to their destinations.

Belgium

Champion has announced a recall of ready-to-eat hamburgers that contain Irish pork. A press release will follow. Belgium is monitoring the situation regarding possible dioxin contamination of Irish beef.

European Union

The European Food Safety Authority has completed a risk assessment, and has concluded that the risk to human health posed by the levels of dioxin found in Irish pork is low, based on the limited time period during which exposure may have occurred. Specifically, EFSA reported:

• "In the most likely scenario, if someone ate an average amount of Irish pork each day throughout the period of the incident (90 days), 10% of which was contaminated at the highest recorded concentration of dioxins[1], the body burden[2] would increase by approximately 10%. EFSA considers this increase to be of no concern for this single event." 
  
• "In a very extreme case, if someone ate a large amount of Irish pork each day throughout the period of the incident (90 days), 100% of which was contaminated at the highest recorded concentration of dioxins, EFSA concludes that the safety margin embedded in the tolerable weekly intake (TWI [3]) would be considerably undermined. Given that the TWI has a 10-fold built in safety margin, EFSA considers that this unlikely scenario would reduce protection, but not necessarily lead to adverse health effects."
  

What does this mean for consumers? The UK Food Standards Agency, referencing this assessment, advises consumers that composite products containing pork – sausage rolls, pork pies, pizzas, and the like – are safe to eat. And consumers who may have eaten Irish pork since September 1st need not worry about their health. The amount of dioxin to which they may have been exposed, even in a worst-case scenario, is within the EU's  "tolerable weekly intake" for the contaminant.

We would add one more consideration. Dioxin accumulates in fat. Eating lean cuts of pork, or trimming off excess fat and only eating the lean meat, greatly reduces the risk of exposure to dioxins.

Dioxin-Contaminated Pork From Ireland: Update #3

Dioxins Found in Irish Cattle

December 9, 2008

Cattle on at least 11 farms in the Republic of Ireland have tested positive for dioxin, but at levels far lower than were found in Irish pigs, according to a report in today's Irish Times. The 11 farms are among an estimated 45 cattle farms in the Irish Republic and 8 farms in Northern Ireland that received dioxin-contaminated feed.

The levels of dioxin found in the cattle are about 2-3 times the legal limit in food. By comparison, the recalled Irish pork contained 80-200 times the legal limit for dioxin.

While any dioxin-contaminated cattle will be slaughtered and the meat from their herds withheld from market, it's unlikely that a recall will be issued for Irish beef already in circulation. The levels of dioxin found in the cattle do not present a public health concern, according to the Minister of Agriculture.

The main concern regarding Irish beef, however, might be one of perception rather than public health. A Canadian headline told the story as "High levels of dioxin found in Irish cattle; joins pork on contaminated list." Ireland will have to pay careful attention to its public relations to avoid serious damage to its US$2 billion beef export industry.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has put up a special web page to provide both consumers, producers and retailers with more information on the dioxin investigation.

Dioxin-Contaminated Pork From Ireland: Update #2

December 8, 2008

As the investigation into the source of dioxin that has found its way into Irish pigs and pork products proceeds, the country's trading partners are working to comply with Ireland's recommendation that all of its pork (dating from September 1st onward) be withdrawn from the market.

The United Kingdom, Ireland's next-door neighbor and largest customer, has advised consumers to avoid all pork products from the Republic of Ireland or from Northern Ireland. This includes any food items that contain pork as a significant ingredient. In addition, the Food Standards Agency is advising retailers and caterers to withdraw from sale all Irish pork products manufactured after September 1st. UK food manufacturers have been asked not to use Irish pork manufactured after September 1st as an ingredient in their products.

 

Belgium, in a December 7th news release, assured its citizens that no live Irish pigs whatsoever had been imported during 2008, but that the government was investigating. Today, the government's food security agency announced that three Belgian companies had been supplied with Irish pork products. As a result, the Delhaize, Okay, Carrefour, GB Super and AD Delhaize food chains have recalled hamburger made with pork meat. Also, a hold was placed on suspect meat at one importer; another importer took delivery of pork meat from the Netherlands that had originated in Ireland.

The French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has determined that 1,600 (metric) tonnes of Irish pork products entered France between September 1st and now, destined for six companies. The six recipients have been contacted, and are cooperating in an effort to trace the pork products. Pork imported from Ireland, according to the Ministry, represents only 0.7% of the pork meat sold in France.

 

Russia, following discussions with Irish authorities, has temporarily suspended the granting of import permits for Irish pork products.

Germany, which has imported approximately 2,000 tonnes of pork from Ireland since September 1st, has ordered that pork from Ireland be removed from the marketplace until the dioxin contamination problem has been resolved.

Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety, in a December 7th news release, indicated that it was monitoring the situation, and advised consumers to avoid eating pork and bacon products made in Ireland after September 1st. The agency also has asked retailers to stop selling these products. 

According to ChannelNewsAsia, pork and pork products from Ireland also have been withdrawn from the marketplace in, or banned from entry into, a number of other countries, including: China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Bulgaria.

And what is Ireland doing? The FSIA has called in the police to help determine how the pig feed became contaminated with dioxin. The government is working with the pork industry and with its trading partners to determine the probable destinations of the suspect pork.

The Environmental Protection Agency also has joined the investigation, and has found that the feed company had used an "inappropriate" oil. The oil used in the plant would have needed an EPA license for the purpose. This license was not obtained. It is now thought by investigators that the oil was used to generate heat for the feed processing, and somehow contaminated the feed.

Today, the FSIA issued a news update to reassure consumers that the risk of health consequences from this incident was very low. But while the health risks may be low, the economic cost of this incident promises to be high. 

The Irish Times reported earlier today that as many as 100,000 pigs may have to be culled (i.e., destroyed) as a result of their exposure to dioxin-contaminated feed, and 125 million euros-worth of pork products dumped. Nearly 1,400 workers are facing temporary lay-offs, and meat producers are seeking government aid.

The cost to the reputation of Irish pork has yet to be calculated.

Dioxin-Contaminated Pork From Ireland: Update #1

December 7, 2008

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland reported today that an ingredient added to pork feed was responsible for the dioxin contamination of Irish pork and pork products. The contaminated feed was supplied to 10 pig farms in the Republic of Ireland. Ten percent of Irish pigs are raised on those 10 farms. 

The feed was produced by Millstream Power Recycling Limited, a company that recycles food products into pig meal. The dioxin apparently was found in an oil used to lubricate a machine that dries animal feed. Investigators don't yet know how the oil entered the pig feed.

The contaminated feed also was supplied to a number of pig farms in Northern Ireland. The UK Food Standards Agency is monitoring the situation closely, and has advised British consumers to avoid all pork products – including sausages, ham, bacon and salami – from both the Republic of Ireland and from Northern Ireland. 

Alerts also have gone out to Ireland's trading partners. According to Ireland's chief veterinarian, contaminated pork may have been shipped to as many as 20-25 countries.  Le Monde reported today that some contaminated pork products already have been found in France and Belgium. 

Until more is known, the safest bet is to avoid consuming any pork products that might have originated in Ireland.

ALERT: Republic of Ireland Recalls All Pork Products

December 6, 2008

The government of the Republic of Ireland has recalled all pork products "... made and sold in the Irish Republic since September..." according to BBC. 

The action was taken after dioxins were found in slaughtered pigs. It is thought that the pigs had eaten feed contaminated with PCBs. Some of the samples contained 200 times the level of dioxins generally considered to be safe.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has advised consumers not to eat any Irish pork or bacon. All Irish pork products have been recalled on government instruction. Movement of pigs on 10 farms has been restricted for now.

Approximately half of the country's pork production is consumed domestically – sold at retail, and in restaurants, pubs, and food service establishments. Retailers, restaurateurs, food service operators, and publicans have been told to return or destroy their stocks of Irish pork. 

The remainder is exported to the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland), Europe and Asia. Ireland has issued an international warning, advising consumers in its export markets not to eat any products that contain Irish pork.