HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) – Germany has approved the first in a series of measures aimed at raising standards in the animal feed industry following the discovery of the toxic chemical dioxin in feed.
The cabinet approved a new rule that puts an extra responsibility on private laboratories to report suspect tests of food or animal feed to the authorities, the agriculture ministry said.
Animal feed and food firms must also notify authorities if they find dangerous substances in their products.
The ministry said this will enable creation of an early warning system of contamination.
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German and European Union authorities are dealing with an alert that began Jan. 3 when German officials said feed tainted with dioxin had been fed to hens and pigs. The dioxin contaminated eggs, poultry meat and pork at affected farms.
Sales of eggs, chicken and pork dropped sharply.
Prosecutors in Germany are investigating the cause of the contamination and specifically whether industrial fat and feed company Harles and Jentzsch distributed fatty acids to animal feed processors that was meant for industrial paper production.
The German government announced measures Jan. 19 to raise animal feed production standards. German farm minister Ilse Aigner said they are now being put into action at maximum speed.
The next stage will be a licensing system for makers of oils and fats for animal feed use, she said.
As well, new regulations will compel the separation of production of fats and oils for industrial uses from uses in animal feed.
Russia recently banned poultry meat imports from Germany because of the dioxin alert.
