If you consume these products and they come exclusively from animals grazing within 2kms of pyres, then you may wish to vary your diet with products from other sources. However, consumers who obtain all their whole milk or whole milk products from animals grazing within 2 km of a pyre may wish to make their own choices about continuing to consume these exclusively until the test results come through. Research on some laboratory animals shows that long-term exposure to dioxins can cause cancer and might therefore cause cancer in humans. That is why every effort is made to reduce exposure to dioxins. 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.
Also takes time for dioxins to build up in milk. Most of the dioxins from pyres will fall on land within 2km of the pyres. Dioxins are present in a wide range of foods and a small, temporary increase will only have a marginal effect on total dietary exposure. Most milk is mixed from a variety of sources before entering the food chain thereby reducing individual exposure to any dioxins that may be present. Risks associated with dioxins arise from long term exposure and are unlikely to be influenced by short-term emissions.