Three samples of Irish pork fat have been found to contain residue levels of the pesticide dicofol exceeding the limits laid down by the EU, the Department of Agriculture and Food said yesterday.
Dicofol, a non-systemic acarcide, is used as an in-store fumigant in Ireland and as an insecticide on fruit and vegetables overseas.
Investigations being carried out by Department scientists found residue levels of less than 0.1 mg/kg, which the Department said would not constitute a hazard to the health of consumers as the dietary intake is calculated to be less than 7 per cent of the acceptable daily intake.
The Department statement said that investigations are ongoing to determine why the residues in excess of the maximum levels of the substance were found in pork fat.
"The investigations have found that none of the pig producers used any product containing dicofol to treat their pigs or pig housing," said the statement.
"Citrus pulp in one pig ration was found to contain dicofol at 0.5 mg/kg and the compounder has reformulated the ration to exclude citrus pulp.
"The only ingredient common to all the pig rations was high-protein soya. Investigations are ongoing to determine if dicofol was used in the treatment of the high-protein soya during transport or storage and if this could have been the source of the dicofol found in the pork fat samples," the statement went on.
"Investigations at this stage indicate that the presence of dicofol in the three samples had its origins outside Ireland," the statement concluded.
It is understood that the citrus pulp may have come into Ireland from the US because there has been a ban on the normal source of citrus pulp, Brazil, since a contaminated product was found in the Netherlands last May 14th.