A poultry farm in Germany has been quarantined following the discovery of toxic dioxin compounds at above permitted levels in eggs. The discovery follows six similar cases which have come to light over the past two months.  

The farms have all been in the North-western states of North Rhine Westphalia and Lower Saxony. The seventh farm, where dioxin contamination was discovered this week, is in Emsland, Lower Saxony; the state agriculture ministry announced the discovery, which was made during the farm’s own safety checks, but offered assurance that it presents no danger to public health.

Dioxins, chemical compounds associated with a number of industrial processes and burning rubbish, are persistent environmental pollutants, but are only dangerous if consumed over long periods of time.

The discoveries this year in Germany follow more rigorous safety inspections introduced in the wake of a health scare in January 2011. German feed company Harles and Jentzsch, caused widespread panic across Europe last year after revealing feed contaminated with dioxin from the by-products of biofuel manufacturing had entered the food chain. The ensuing scandal resulted in the closure of over 4,700 pig and poultry farms in Germany.

However, although tainted feed was initially suspected in each case in 2012, authorities have admitted they do not know how eggs at the seven sites came to be contaminated. The farm in Emsland, which houses 12,000 chickens, has been put under quarantine pending an investigation and eggs from the farm have been recalled.

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