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Germany did not export contaminated food products - Russia’s chief sanitary doctor

12 January 2011 05:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The German agriculture ministry said it had not exported products believed to be contaminated with dioxins, Russia’s chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko said, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.

Last week, German sanitary authorities discovered dangerous levels of dioxins in domestic livestock and bird feed, forcing Russia’s agricultural watchdog to strengthen monitoring of food products of animal origin imported from Germany and some other EU countries.

"This animal feed was not supplied to other countries," Onishchenko told RIA Novosti, quoting a report provided by the German ministry.

On Friday, the German authorities banned the sale of products from more than 4,700 farms because of fears eggs and meat may be contaminated with dioxins.

"As of today, part of those farms have been reopened after undergoing control procedures," the sanitary doctor said.

Experts have said the closure of farms and a ban on product sales may cost Germany about 100 million euros (over $129 million).

The European Union says that although the dioxin levels in affected eggs are five times the legal level, a human would have to consume vast amounts of them for his health to be affected.