. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/123
9 June 1999
(99-2328)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
DIOXIN CONTAMINATION OF CERTAIN ANIMAL PRODUCTS INTENDED
FOR HUMAN OR ANIMAL CONSUMPTION
Information from the European Communities
1. On 27 May 1999 the Belgian authorities informed the European Commission of a case of
contamination of compound feedingstuffs with dioxin.  The source of the contamination is still under
investigation, but it is thought to originate from adulterated fat used in the production of compound
feedingstuffs.
2. Following discussions in the Standing Committee on Feedingstuffs and the Standing
Veterinary Committee, the European Commission a dopted urgent safeguard measures to protect
consumer health (Commission Deci sion 1999/363/EC, published in Official Journal of the European
Communities L 141 of 4 June 1999, and Commission Decision 1999/368/EC, Official Journal L 142
of 5 June 1999).
3. The measures oblige member States’ authorities to ensure that all potentially dioxin
contaminated product, whether food or feedingstu ff, be traced, removed from the market and
destroyed.  The measures also require the Belgian authorities to trace all products covered by the
Decisions, and to notify other member States and third countries that have imported such products.
Other member States that have received contaminated feedingstuffs are subject to the same
obligations, i.e. to trace the feedingstuffs and food products and destroy them, and to prepare a
monitoring plan on the levels of dioxins in products of animal origin.  Restrictions are in placepreventing movement from all the farms in Belgium, France and the Netherlands which received
potentially contaminated feedingstuffs.
4. The measures prohibit the placing on the market, or the export to third countries, of products
intended for human or animal consumption derive d from domestic fowl, pigs and bovine animals
which were reared in Belgium from 15 January 1999.  This does not apply to products derived fromanimals reared in holdings which were not put under restriction by the Belgian authorities, or where
the analytical results demonstrate that the products are not contaminated with dioxin, and for which
the Belgian authorities provide appropriate certification.
5. In addition to fresh poultry meat, pigmeat and beef, the list of affected products includes:
mechanically recovered meat;  minced meat and meat preparations;  meat products;  milk and milkproducts,  fats for human consumption;  raw material for animal feedingstuffs;  processed animal
proteins, if these contain poultry, pig or bovine pr oducts;  and egg products and other products for
human consumption which contains more than 2 per cent egg.
6. The European Communities will continue to monitor the situation and will take any necessary
measures to protect both consumer and animal health.G/SPS/GEN/123
Page 2
7. The European Commission held an information meeting in Brussels on 4 June 1999 at which
representatives of 58 third countries were present.  A further information meeting will take place on
8 June 1999.
8. Copies of Commission Decisions 1999/363/EC and 1999/369/EC (available in all EC
languages) can be obtained from the EC SPS Enquiry Point, or on the EUR-Lex site
(http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex) .
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