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Germany tests milk in carcinogen scare Germany tests milk in carcinogen scare
(8 days later)
Germany conducted safety tests on milk over the weekend, after it emerged that thousands of farms had given animals feed contaminated with high levels of the dangerous carcinogen aflatoxin B1.Germany conducted safety tests on milk over the weekend, after it emerged that thousands of farms had given animals feed contaminated with high levels of the dangerous carcinogen aflatoxin B1.
Thousands of tonnes of poisonous animal feed was delivered to 4,467 farms in Lower Saxony alone, including 968 dairy farms, the state's agricultural ministry confirmed on Sunday.Thousands of tonnes of poisonous animal feed was delivered to 4,467 farms in Lower Saxony alone, including 968 dairy farms, the state's agricultural ministry confirmed on Sunday.
Aflatoxin B1, one of the strongest known naturally-occuring carcinogens, is produced by the Aspergillus mould, which can develop on grains when left in warm and damp conditions. German authorities banned milk deliveries from hundreds of dairy farms on Friday, fearing that milk from cows fed up to 30 times the accepted levels of aflatoxin could also contain the cancer-causing substance.Aflatoxin B1, one of the strongest known naturally-occuring carcinogens, is produced by the Aspergillus mould, which can develop on grains when left in warm and damp conditions. German authorities banned milk deliveries from hundreds of dairy farms on Friday, fearing that milk from cows fed up to 30 times the accepted levels of aflatoxin could also contain the cancer-causing substance.
"Aflatoxins are especially dangerous in milk," said Udo Paschedag, state secretary of the ministry, adding that they did not pose a problem in meat or eggs."Aflatoxins are especially dangerous in milk," said Udo Paschedag, state secretary of the ministry, adding that they did not pose a problem in meat or eggs.
The ministry said it believed there was no risk to consumers after initial test results on Saturday showed milk from 79 of the affected dairy farms contained only low traces of the carcinogen. Tests are now being carried out on the remaining farms.The ministry said it believed there was no risk to consumers after initial test results on Saturday showed milk from 79 of the affected dairy farms contained only low traces of the carcinogen. Tests are now being carried out on the remaining farms.
The ministry said it had tracked the breach to a shipment of 40,000 tonnes of maize from Serbia, 10,000 tonnes of which was processed into animal feed for chickens, cows and pigs.The ministry said it had tracked the breach to a shipment of 40,000 tonnes of maize from Serbia, 10,000 tonnes of which was processed into animal feed for chickens, cows and pigs.
While authorities say meat and eggs from animals which have ingested the cancer-causing substance are not dangerous to human health, they have yet to confirm whether offal from the affected animals is safe to eat.While authorities say meat and eggs from animals which have ingested the cancer-causing substance are not dangerous to human health, they have yet to confirm whether offal from the affected animals is safe to eat.
Anger among consumers grew as the scale of the breach became known, the third food scandal to hit Germany in under a month. As well as horse meat being passed off as beef, 200 German egg farmers are currently under investigation for allegedly falsely labelling battery chickens' eggs as organic. Anger among consumers grew as the scale of the breach became known, the third food scandal to hit Germany in under a month. As well as horse meat being passed off as beef, 200 German egg farmers are currently under investigation for allegedly falsely labelling battery chickens' eggs as organic.
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