China imposed a temporary ban yesterday on pork imports from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands over a dioxin scare.

 

According to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, pork already shipped from these countries to China before January 24 must undergo a dioxin test on arrival.

 

The administration also indicated that the ban would cover animal-based feed imports from the three countries, and it would strengthen the inspection and quarantine on imported vegetable-based feed.

 

Belgium's food safety bureau said this week that faulty filters at a local chemical plant caused abnormal levels of dioxin to contaminate animal feed.

 

Germany and the Netherlands reported the contamination of excessive dioxin in their pork products at the beginning of February.

 

The discovery of the dioxin contamination was first reported by the Netherlands, which sent out an EU-wide alert January 25 on pig fat originating from Belgium. The Netherlands said its tests indicated dioxin levels 25 times the maximum permitted concentrations in pork fat.

 

Dioxin is a by-product of the burning, molding or manufacture of organic chemicals and plastics that contain chlorine. Highly toxic, its toxicity is second only to radioactive waste.

 

Dioxin is known to damage the immune system and interfere with hormonal systems.

 

(Xinhua News Agency, China.org.cn February 9, 2006)