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Why have Irish pork and bacon products been recalled? :In routine, random testing carried out by Department of Agriculture monitors on November 19th, a number of slaughtered pigs were found to have high levels of potentially harmful and illegal non-dioxin like PCBs. Samples sent to the UK for analysis came back on Saturday afternoon and confirmed the presence of up to 200 times the legal limit for dioxins in some meat samples.
PCBs? Dioxins? What are they?
The production and use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was discontinued in the 1980s but substantial amounts remain in electrical equipment, plastic products, and building materials. They are stored in fat tissue and take a long time to leave the body. Dioxins are naturally occurring organic compounds released into the atmosphere from fires and other forms of combustion. Both can accumulate in the fat of animal or in plant tissue. While they are mostly found in insignificant levels, a small number are highly toxic and can cause a range of ailments from cancer to skin diseases and damage to the reproductive and immune systems.
How did the dioxins get into the food?
