German farms closed on animal feed contamination

The European Union issued a warning that eggs from farms affected by dioxin entered Britain in products meant for human consumption.

Thousands of farms in Germany were shut down after large amounts of animal feed were found contaminated with the poisonous chemical dioxin. The level of dioxin didn't pose a health risk to humans and the closure of more than 4,700 farms, mostly pig operations in the Lower Saxony region, was a precaution, the BBC reported Friday.

German officials said the farms would remain closed until they've been checked and cleared of contamination. The European Union issued a warning that eggs from farms affected by dioxin entered Britain in products meant for human consumption.

The warning said the eggs were shipped to the Netherlands for processing then to the United Kingdom, where they likely are to be used in the production of items such as mayonnaise and pastries. The dioxin scare prompted South Korea to block imports of German pork and poultry products from reaching consumers, South Korean media reported. Last week, more than 1,000 German farms were prohibited from selling eggs after dioxin was found in the eggs and poultry products.

Officials traced the contamination to a distributor in the German state of Schleswig Holstein where oils intended for use in bio-fuels accidentally were distributed for animal feed, the BBC said. While the dioxin was discovered in late December, the extent of the problem only became apparent earlier this week when German officials identified 3,000 tons of affected feed.