Egg contamination spreads to the Netherlands and England

The EU has warned that eggs from farms affected by dioxin in Germany have not only entered the Netherlands, but also the UK in processed products destined for human food.

The eggs had been sent to the Netherlands for processing and then on to the UK where they were likely to be destined for use in the production of a variety of food stuffs including mayonnaise and pastries.

British authorities said that the amounts of dioxin – which is linked to the development of cancer in humans – in any egg would be very small, and not enough to be dangerous.

Germany’s agriculture ministry said the quarantined farms would not be allowed to make any further deliveries until they had been checked and found to be clear of contamination.

German officials will brief their EU counterparts next week and the incident could lead to new rules on animal feed.

Meanwhile, the dioxin scare has prompted South Korea to block imports of German pork and poultry products from reaching consumers due to health concerns, local media reported on Friday.