WASTE ADVICE:THE FOOD Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has said it is safe to dispose of all pork products with normal household waste.
A spokeswoman for the FSAI said it had been advised by the Environmental Protection Agency that there was no issue in connection with consumers disposing of pork products in their bins.
However, it advised householders to dispose of it through their black rather than brown bins, which are used in some areas for garden and food waste.
The authority said the dioxin levels in the pork would not have any environmental impact, with more, naturally occurring, dioxins found in other household waste, particularly coal and woodfire ashes.
The FSAI preference was for consumers to return all affected products to the point of purchase where they would get a refund.
She said retailers had been asked not to put recalled products in landfill but to return them to the supply chain where they could be rendered and destroyed.
Chief veterinary officer Paddy Rogan explained the recalled meat would go to rendering plants for conversion into bonemeal and would then be destroyed.
Consumers can return any pork products to the point of sale. The onus is on manufacturers and their distributors to sell products which are safe. If they believe, or are told, that a product is potentially hazardous they are legally obliged to take the necessary steps to protect their customers.
Consumers are entitled to a refund from the shop if they buy a defective product – and all pork has been deemed defective.