ALL products produced from pigs slaughtered in Ireland were recalled last night due to a dioxins scare.

Consumers were warned not to eat Irish pork and bacon as an investigation was launched into the discovery of the toxic substances.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the government made the announcement after pork products on several farms were found to have had between 80 and 200 times more dioxins than the safety limit.

The recall affects all pork produced since September 1.The recall also affects Irish exports of pork to other European countries. Britain, Germany, France and Italy all import significant quantities, while America and Korea are also buyers.

The investigation will attempt to identify the processors and foods involved. It is believed contaminated feed was used at a total of 47 farms. Nine of these were pork-producing. The remaining 38 were beef farms, with one of those also producing pork products.

Brian Cowen, the taoiseach, and Brendan Smith, the agriculture minister, held talks throughout yesterday following the discovery. Fine Gael said the problem was “potentially the biggest threat to the agri-food sector since foot and mouth”.

The movement of animals at 30 farms has been restricted, and it is feared that the €400m-a-year pork industry will be badly affected. It is believed thesubstances discovered in the animals carcasses are understood to be PCBs, organic pollutants which have been the source of health fears worldwide. The dangerous man-made chemicals were banned in 1979. They effect the immune and reproductive systems and can, in certain cases, cause cancers.

Dioxins are environmental contaminants that may be formed during combustion processes and may be present in industrial wastes. It is illegal for dioxins to be in food products above a certain level.

Consumers were advised to consult the websites of the FSAI and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for further information.

DAFF officials held meetings with experts last night to establish what further action to take. It is believed the contamination first came to light on Monday but was only confirmed by test results yesterday.

Brian Cowen, the taoiseach, and Brendan Smith, the agriculture minister, held talks throughout yesterday after the discovery.

Trevor Sargent, the Green Party’s food minister, said the government acted swiftly to defend food safety and avoid undue worry for consumers.

He said the affected feed had been banned and the pig production units using it had been restricted. “Food safety and the consumers’ interest have been the main priority behind this government action,” he said.

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