It is unlikely there will be any health concerns but we need to double-check with the results from tests on milk. It is right that consumers who may be affected have the information to make their own decisions, where there is uncertainty. We will make public the results of the tests and issue any further information that may be required. Sampling of milk, soil, eggs and grass started at the beginning of May when cattle were being put out to pasture from their winter quarters. Testing was timed to ensure that the highest levels of dioxins would be measured.
Dioxins take time to build up on grass and can be washed away.
It also takes time for dioxins to build up in milk. So far, samples have been collected at Holsworthy - Devon, Sennybridge South Wales, Anglesey North Wales, Dumfries and Galloway Scotland, and Cumbria. Locations have been selected to represent a range of pyre types and conditions and give valuable information for the future. The postal dispute may delay the distribution of this information. It does not apply to milk that is generally consumed by most of the population as this milk is mixed from a variety of sources.