Illegal dioxin level found in German chicken

An overly high concentration of cancer-causing dioxin has been detected in samples of meat for the first time after it emerged that farm animals were given contaminated feed, Germany's Agriculture Ministry said today.

A spokesman said that three chickens - out of 15 samples of chicken, turkey and pork meat which have been sent to the EU Commission - showed a dioxin concentration twice as high as legally allowed.

Excessive dioxin levels were previously discovered in eggs.

He said the meat of the contaminated chickens was not sold and consumption at such a low contamination level would not be harmful in the short term.

Germany has frozen sales of poultry, pork and eggs from more than 4,700 farms.