German authorities yesterday stated they see no danger to the public from a new discovery of high dioxin levels in feed ingredients in the country; sugar beet pulp, an animal feed ingredient, at German sugar producer Pfeifer & Langen was found to contain poisonous chemical dioxin safe levels. image expired

Pfeifer & Langen informed the German authorities after producing sugar beet pulp with dioxin levels of 1.0-1.6 nanograms, per kilo, "slightly above" permitted levels of 0.75 nanograms.  However, a spokesperson for the agriculture ministry in the North Rhine Westphalia state said, "We see no danger; the sugar pulp usually makes up only 10-15 percent of compound feed and the levels are not so high that the entire animal feed mixture would be pushed over the limits."

The agriculture ministry spokesperson said the incident is currently being investigated and deliveries made to Germany and the Netherlands were being recalled, though he reiterated, "Currently we see no necessity to issue a warning."

In January, an EU-wide health alert was made and scandal ensued when a German feed manufacturer was revealed to have sold animal feed contaminated with highly toxic dioxin, tainting poultry, livestock and eggs as a result of using industrial by-products to make its feed.