Tests on cattle that ate contaminated feed show the presence of contaminants in a number of cases but there is no risk to public health and beef produce from affected farms will not be withdrawn from sale, the Department of Agriculture and the Food Safety Authority said today.
Cattle at some 45 farms in the Republic may have been exposed to the same contaminated meal that sparked the crisis in the pork industry. Eight cattle farms in Northern Ireland also used the feed.
After tests on 11 farms, three showed the levels of the marker for substances called "non-dioxin-like PCBs" (polychlorinated biphenyls) were two to three times proposed maximum legal levels. This compares to levels found in pork of 80 to 200 times the limit.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said these were "preliminary indicators of potential contamination – but do not confirm the presence of dioxins".
The levels found would make the samples "technically non-compliant but not at a level which would any public health concerns", Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith told a press conference in Government Buildings.
Eight cattle farms were given the all-clear while tests will be carried out on the remaining farms.
Any animals found to have elevated levels of the substances will be slaughtered and any products from these herds will not be released to the market. However, there will not be any recall on products already on the market, given the low level of risk to public health.
“For these things to be a risk it has to be long term exposure and the exposure here is very short term, " Dr Alan Reilly of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said.
Test results on pork products from affected farms confirmed the presence of about 100 times the EU maximum level of 1 picogramme/gram fat for dioxins and 1.5 picogramme/gramme fat for total dioxins and 'dioxin-like' PCBs.
Dr Reilly said the limits being applied in the tests on the cattle were limits that would be introduced "fairly soon".
“The adverse health effects for consumption over a short period of this type of elevated level, is not going to adversely affect public health. We are not concerned," he said.
He said the "key issue" was that the farms concerned were restricted.
"They will be tested and based on the testing, they will either be allowed or not allowed into the food chain."
Produce already in storage from the farms that had tested positive would not be allowed onto the market, but product already in shops would not be withdrawn because of the low levels of PCBs involved.
“Any product that is on the market, and I stress that it is a very small amount in comparison to the total amount of beef, we will not be requiring it to be withdrawn because we don’t believe there is a serious public health risk posed by the levels we have found," Dr Reilly said.
Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith said the results of the tests on cattle were those that had been "hoped for".
“The total number of cattle slaughtered from these herds, from September 1st, amount to some 3,000 out of a total annual slaughter of approximately 1.5 million head, that is some 0.2 per cent of the total annual production,” he said.
Mr Smith said the results of tests on three of the 11 herds were "technically non-compliant" but not at a level that would pose any public health concern.
He said, however, that in line with with the "precautionary approach taken to date, and to provide reassurance to consumers", three courses of action were being taken.
Any animals in herds shown to be above the proposed legal limit would be taken out of the food and feed chain. Secondly, any product from these herds would not be released onto the market. The European Commission was also being informed of the results, the Minister said.
"I have instructed Bord Bia and our State agencies and our embassies throughout the world to get this very positive message across about the safety of Irish food products. That work has commenced."
Talks to resolve the deepening crisis caused by the recall of all Irish pork products after the weekend discovery of potentially-dangerous dioxins in pigmeat were continuing at the Department of Agriculture today.
The talks, chaired by Taoiseach Brian Cowen, between representatives of the pig industry and the Government adjourned last night shortly after 10pm with a department spokesman saying “some progress” had been made.
The Government said yesterday it is to seek EU financial assistance for a compensation package for the pig industry. However, Michael Mann, European Commission agriculture spokesman, dismissed the approach today. “There is no basis on which we can pay out money to compensate people from European funds for destroying the meat,” he said.
Pig processors had yesterday refused to reopen their slaughtering lines until compensated for the loss of trade caused by the recall. They demanded that the Government compensate them by buying up returned product worth at least €200 million.
Their decision to lay off hundreds of workers and put others on protective notice increased pressure on the Government to reach a settlement for losses the industry estimated could run to €500 million when lost overseas markets were taken into account.
Mr Cowen said the recall of pork products had taken place on the basis of upholding the reputation of the Irish food industry and our export markets in particular.
The talks took place against the background of a breakthrough in the investigation into the source of contaminated pig feed.
A press briefing in Dublin was told yesterday that "inappropriate" oil was used in a burner used in the heating process of waste food at Millstream Recycling in Co Carlow, which was used on 10 pig and 45 beef farms.
The State's chief veterinary officer at the Department of Agriculture Paddy Rogan said plans were being drawn up to slaughter and destroy 100,000 pigs which were being held on the 10 pig farms on which contaminated feed was used.