Animal feed scare causes German farms to shut down

According to officials, the closure of the farms is only a precaution as the levels of dioxin in the animal feed do not pose a risk to humans. Most of the farms closed are situated in Lower Saxony region, north-west Germany.

The European Union has also warned that eggs from farms affected by dioxin have already entered the UK in processed products destined for human food.

Dioxin is linked to the development of cancer in humans. More than 1,000 farms were banned from selling eggs after the chemical was found in eggs and poultry.

The poisonous chemical is believed to have reached the animal feed after being distributed by a company in Germany which supplies additives for animal feed. Even though the dioxin was discovered late last month, the extent of the problem has only been revealed this week.

According to German officials, 3,000 tonnes of feed had been affected.