January 14, 2011

Japan intensifies German pork, poultry checks

Japan has ordered importers to declare all shipments of pork, poultry and eggs from Germany on growing concerns over dioxin scare, it said Thursday (Jan 13).

Japan's health and welfare ministry has received information from German authorities noting that they ordered the slaughter of chickens and pigs suspected of being contaminated with dioxin, a ministry official said.

"Based on the information, we have instructed importers to report whether shipments are related to the case, whenever they import pork, poultry and chicken eggs as well as their processed products," the official said.

"We have also asked quarantine stations to report all shipments of the products from Germany, but we have not imposed any ban on them," the official added.

Germany's dioxin problems deepened Wednesday (Jan 12) as China banned pork and egg imports and it emerged that tainted meat may be in circulation.