A DIOXIN CONTAMINATION SCARE in Germany has stopped the sale of eggs from over 4,700 farms.

The scare was sparked by the discovery of dioxins in chicken feed which in turn may have led to the contamination of eggs.

Der Spiegel reports that the dioxin, linked to the development of cancer in humans, has been traced back to a feed plant in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany.

Potentially contaminated eggs have been exported to the Netherlands, according to the German Agricultural and Consumer Protection Ministry, and some of those may have been used in products sent to Britain.

Fourteen tonnes of liquid eggs produced from those possibly contaminated eggs were sent from the Netherlands to the UK for use in cakes and quiches. The BBC reports that the UK Food Standard’s Agency said that just two manufacturers have used the eggs and there was a very low risk to human health due to their dilution.

The baked products are likely to have been consumed already as the eggs in question were sent to the UK in December. German authorities said they were not aware the eggs had been sent to any other EU members.

The dioxin scare is estimated to cost the German egg industry between €40m and €53.8m a week, the New York Times reports. Millions of eggs have already been destroyed.

Earlier today, the EU Commissioner with responsibility for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, said that the dioxin incident had been prioritised by the Commission and his office is in permanent contact with German authorities. He added: “In the coming weeks, I will explore with our EU partners and stakeholders ways to further strengthen our monitoring processes of dioxin in feed”.