The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Council of Agriculture yesterday said eggs with the Certified Agricultural Standard (CAS) label are to also be tested for dioxin.
The two agencies and the Environmental Protection Administration — which are working together to trace the source of dioxin residue found in eggs from three farms in Changhua County reported last week — yesterday afternoon held a news conference to share plans to expand examination for dioxins.
“We will receive all the examination reports [about samples collected from the farms] by Friday at the latest to confirm the source of the dioxins,” Animal Husbandry Division Deputy Director Wang Chung-shu (王忠恕) said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“Examination items for CAS certification do not include dioxin testing because dioxins are basically environmental pollution,” he said, adding that while the public is worried about it, the council would consider listing it as an examination item for the CAS label right away.
He said the council has also prepared an animal feed examination plan, and would explain the details to the public after the examination reports are released.
“We have removed from shelves 7.7 tonnes of eggs from the distributors that we suspect to be contaminated,” FDA Director-General Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) said.
“People can purchase eggs as they are safe to eat,” she said.
Also at the news conference, National Taiwan University toxicologist and physician Chiang Chih-kang (姜至剛) said the level of dioxin residue found in the eggs is less than the tolerable daily intake of dioxin recommended by WHO, and people would only exceed the tolerable intake level if they eat more than five eggs a day.
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