The Department for Environmental Health last night advised consumers that as a precautionary measure they should not consume Irish pork and bacon products at this time.

The Food Safety Commission within the department said that last Saturday, the government of Ireland informed the Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (RASFF) that laboratory results of animal feed and pork fat samples obtained that afternoon by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) confirmed the presence of dioxins.

Consequently, the FSAI is requiring the Irish food industry to recall from the market all pork products produced from pigs slaughtered in Ireland. Preliminary evidence indicates that the contamination problem is likely to have started last September, however, investigations involving the Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF) and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland are continuing to determine the extent of the contamination and to identify the processors and products involved.

It is unlikely that such pork products would have reached the local market. The Food Safety Commission said it wanted to assure the public that investigations will continue in line with new developments.

The Commission added that it will issue guidelines should investigations reveal the importation into Malta of any potentially contaminated product.

The EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feeds allows countries to monitor risks presented by food or feed to the health of the consumers.

In case of any query, consumers are to contact the Department for Environmental Health on 2133 2225 and 2133 7333 between 8.a.m. and 2 p.m.