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Berlin — Germany ordered Irish pork pulled from the market Sunday after Dublin said it was recalling all pork products due to the discovery of a toxic substance in slaughtered pigs.
All Irish pork is to be removed from German shelves "as a precaution," a spokeswoman from the consumer affairs ministry said.
She said German authorities were now reviewing how much Irish pork had been imported to the German market and were in contact with the relevant officials in the 16 federal states.
Germany has one of the highest levels of pork consumption in Europe but imports it mainly from the Netherlands and Denmark, according to the consumer affairs ministry.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland advised consumers Saturday not to eat Irish pork and bacon products until it knew the extent of the contamination by dioxins, which have been linked to cancer.
FSAI spokesman Alan O’Reilly said the level of the dioxins found was 80 to 200 times the safe level.
The contamination is thought to have come from a feed mixture, and was identified at the end of November in routine testing. All pork products made since September 1 have been recalled.
AFP/Expatica