Dioxins in Beef - Questions and Answers
Has beef tested positive for dioxin contamination?
Preliminary tests had already shown the presence of marker PCBs in a number of beef samples tested (09.12.08). Laboratory results for four samples which were sent for further analysis are now available (18.12.08) and these have shown that dioxins are also present.
What does this mean in terms of food safety?
Following these positive results for dioxin contamination, the FSAI is recommending that cattle from the 21 farms that have been restricted since 5 th December will now be slaughtered and not allowed to enter the food chain. The trade withdrawal of implicated carcasses from these 21 farms, which was initiated on 9 th December, is continuing, and these too will not enter the food chain. Consumers should have no concerns in relation to health risks and retailers are not required to take any action.
Why is there not a full recall, as was the case with pork?
Beef is not being recalled as it is considered that there is no public health concern. Although the dioxin levels in the four beef samples were higher than those found in the pork products, a number of additional factors reduce the risk in this instance.
• Only a small number of cattle are impacted. Potentially contaminated feed from the implicated feed mill had only been supplied to 21 farms out of approximately 110,000 beef farms in the Republic of Ireland . Consequently, only 0.02% of total annual beef production has affected, leaving 99.98% of beef production un-affected.
• All cattle are, and have been, under restriction.
• Due to superior traceability systems applying to beef the product can and is being identified.
As a consumer of beef, should I be concerned?
The risk assessment carried out by the FSAI indicates that based on food consumption data, the exposure from beef is 300 times lower than that posed by the pork contamination. Therefore, consumers should have no concerns in relation to health risks and retailers are not required to take any action. Even though it is illegal for dioxins to be present in foodstuffs above certain limits and dioxins can be harmful to health if consumers are exposed to them over a significant length of time, any possible risk to health in this instance is extremely low.
What if I have contaminated product at home?
The implicated farms have been restricted for a number of weeks now. Animals on farms that received the potentially contaminated feed were not released into the food chain and any products from these herds were not released onto the market. It is unlikely that the contaminated product is available for retail sale now or that you will have some of the product in your fridge.
What about dairy products?
We have no information to suggest that there has been contamination of dairy cattle, therefore we can assume that milk and dairy products are not affected. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will inform us if this situation changes.
Last reviewed: 2/4/2009