Sheep feed found to contain dioxin in Yunlin contamination case

Taipei, July 28 (CNA) Feed used at a Yunlin County farm linked to a recent dioxin-contaminated sheep meat case was found to contain the toxin, according to test results released Tuesday by the county government.

Officials said they will work with central government agencies to trace the source of the contaminated feed, as the farm obtained feed from multiple sources.

Yunlin County Agriculture Department Director Wei Sheng-de (魏勝德) said the feed contained 0.353 picograms of toxic equivalency (TEQ) of dioxins per gram (pg TEQ/g). While Taiwan has no regulatory limit for dioxins in animal feed, the level is slightly above the European Union's action threshold of 0.3 pg TEQ/g in wet weight for fruit and vegetables.

All other samples tested showed no abnormalities, he said.

According to Wei, the farm owner, surnamed Lee (李), gave inconsistent accounts regarding the source of the feed. Authorities will therefore work with the Ministry of Environment and other central government agencies to identify its origin.

Wei noted that the dioxin level detected in the feed does not directly correspond to the concentration found in the sheep, as toxin absorption varies among animals. That explains why the relatively low concentration in the feed could still result in higher levels in the contaminated meat, he said.

He also stressed that the incident is an isolated case. Lee is not a professional sheep farmer, and all eight sheep he owned have since been culled and will not enter the market.

The case came to light on July 25 after a food safety inspection conducted on July 6 found that sheep meat from Lee's farm contained 4.6 picograms of dioxins per gram of fat (pg/g fat), exceeding Taiwan's legal limit of 2.5 pg/g fat. The test results were released on July 22. Authorities said none of the contaminated meat entered the market.

The sheep were slaughtered under the name of Yun Nong Farm (雲農畜牧場), prompting authorities to preemptively remove four metric tons of dairy products made by the Chianan Goat Milk Farmers' Cooperative from shelves because they contained milk sourced from the farm.

However, prosecutors later determined that Lee had allegedly used Yun Nong Farm's name without authorization and forged its Livestock Health Declaration Certificates. He is currently under investigation by the Yunlin District Prosecutors' Office.

Tests conducted at Yun Nong Farm found no abnormalities, and the farm has since been cleared to resume operations.

The county government said it will also convene a meeting with sheep farmers, the Chianan Goat Milk Farmers' Cooperative and other stakeholders to discuss measures to restore public confidence in sheep and goat products following the incident.