Sales ban on 4,700 farms in dioxin scandal

German authorities have stopped more than 4,700 farms from selling their meat and eggs amid a growing scandal over animal feed contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals which is also affecting exports.

Germany's Agriculture Ministry said today that it had had no immediate reports of health problems connected to the contaminated products, but that it was stopping the sale of products from farms until tests can be carried out on livestock.

Authorities believe some 150,000 tons of feed for poultry and swine containing industrial fat have been fed to livestock across Germany. The fat contains dioxins and should not have been in the feed.

South Korea said it was halting the sale of pork and poultry products imported from Germany as a precaution, while authorities in Britain and the Netherlands are also investigating the extent of contamination in products containing German eggs.

Dioxins are contaminants which typically result from industrial combustion and other chemical processes. Exposure to dioxins at high levels is linked to increased incidence of cancer.

The German scandal broke on Monday when excessive dioxin levels were discovered in eggs from chickens in the west of the country, and it has continued to spread.

German media reported that the contaminated feed had been fed to livestock for months before the dioxin was discovered.

Farmers are demanding compensation for losses they are estimating at between 40 million euros and 60 million euros per week.