Health Issues
If I have eaten an affected product, has my health been damaged?
There is no risk of immediate illness. If you have eaten an affected product, the risk to long term health is minimal, however not eating it any more is a sensible thing to do. It is continued high level exposure to dioxins over time that gives cause for concern.
Could I have been exposed to dioxins?
Consumers are exposed to dioxins at low levels on a daily basis from a potentially wide range of sources including car emissions, smoking and fires. Until now, surveillance work undertaken by the FSAI indicates that the general exposure of consumers in Ireland is low when compared to other European countries, and well below the maximum intake established by international risk assessment bodies.
To ensure consumers are fully protected, this maximum intake level also incorporates very large safety margins compared to any level that might cause effects in experimental animals. Therefore, any increased exposure to dioxins for a short period is highly unlikely to lead to any health effects.
Should I be concerned?
Even though it is illegal for dioxins to be present in foodstuffs above legal limits, any possible risk to consumer health is extremely low. Even in the unlikely event that you have eaten a large amount of the most highly contaminated products every day since 1 September; you should not experience any adverse health effects.
How can you say for sure that the risk to consumer health is extremely low?
Scientific data and evidence does not support concerns on health effects to people exposed to dioxins at a high level over a short period of time, such as the Belgian dioxin incident.
Dioxins in relation to the pork and bacon recall would have been concentrated primarily in the fat element of the product – pork is considered a healthy lean meat product and only the visible fat element of the product would have potentially contained any contamination. In addition, only 10% of the product is suspected as being affected on the market and this reduces the potential exposure.
Putting all this into perspective with the evidence of long term exposure information, there is a low level risk of ill health. There is no scientific robust evidence to support any other viewpoint.
How is this situation similar to the Belgian dioxin crisis that happened in 1999?
The Belgian dioxin crisis involved contamination of poultry, eggs and pigs with dioxins. The dioxin levels in those affected foodstuffs were similar to levels found in the Irish pig meat. There was also a similar possible exposure time of several months. There were no adverse health effects following the Belgian crisis (see next question).
Were there any adverse health effects following the Belgian dioxin crisis?
The Belgian population has been closely monitored for almost ten years for signs of health effects in relation to their exposure to dioxins. No adverse health effects have shown up in these screenings.
I’m pregnant, has this affected my baby?
Any risk from this short term exposure is minimal and is not of concern to the health of the mother or child. Any risk from dioxins is related to high level exposure over a prolonged period.
The Department of Health and Children has given reassurance in relation to this. See: Dioxins and Pork Meat - Statement by Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health and Children.
Should I continue to breastfeed my baby?
Yes, you should continue to breast feed your baby. The exposure to dioxins has been over a short period and any risk is associated with long term exposure at high levels. The benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh the risks from dioxins in terms of development of the baby.
Do dioxins affect children?
Children are affected by dioxins in the same way as adults. If your child has eaten any affected product, he/she is unlikely to be affected. Again, this exposure is over a short period and any risk is associated with long term exposure at high levels.
Should I get blood tests carried out, just to make sure?
Blood tests will not demonstrate the overall load of dioxins in your body.
If the health risk is very small why are all pork and bacon products removed from sale?
Dioxins are toxic and persist in the body and consumers should not be exposed to them unnecessarily. Foods containing dioxins above legal limits are not allowed to be sold.
What about organic pig meat and products?
The recall affects all pork and bacon products, including organic. This will also be released by inspectors once it’s verified that it is safe.
Last reviewed: 3/4/2009