German authorities said this week they saw no danger to the public after an animal feed ingredient was found to contain the highly-poisonous chemical dioxin above permitted levels.
German sugar producer Pfeifer & Langen reported it has produced the feed ingredient sugar beet pulp with dioxin levels of 1.0-1.6 nanograms, per kilo, "slightly above" permitted levels of 0.75 nanograms, a spokesman for the agriculture ministry in the state government of North Rhine Westphalia said.
"We see no danger," the spokesman said. "The sugar pulp usually makes up only 10-15 percent of compound feed and the levels are not so high that the entire animal feed mixture would be pushed over the limits."
Unlisted Pfeifer & Langen had itself informed authorities.
"We see a problem in part of the process chain which is being investigated. Currently we see no necessity to issue a warning," the ministry spokesman added.
Deliveries had been made to Germany and the Netherlands, he said. They were being recalled.
