Following the recall of nearly 7 tonnes of eggs over fears they
contain high levels of dioxin, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
yesterday said it has inspected 688 retailers and eateries and found
them to be free of the questionable produce.
Laboratory tests
showed that eggs sold by a distributor in Miaoli County had dioxin
levels exceeding allowable limits, with the eggs traced to three chicken
farms in Changhua County, the administration reported on Friday.
The administration issued a recall, with all vendors required to comply by 3pm on Saturday.
As
of 2pm yesterday, the agency said 688 retailers and eateries that had
purchased the eggs from the three farms and their four down-stream
distributors had been inspected, and 6.785 tonnes of eggs had been
removed from shelves.
Dioxins are highly toxic compounds that
include 75 types of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and 135 types of
dibenzofurans and are formed in the burning or production of
chlorine-based chemical compounds, the administration said.
Dioxins
can be spread in the air and settle on soil or underwater sediment,
where they can enter the food chain and be absorbed by plants,
eventually ending up in the bodies of animals and humans, it said,
adding that 90 percent of dioxins detected in humans are attributable to
food consumption, including dairy products, fish and eggs.
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