February 6, 2006

Taiwan bans Dutch pork imports

Taiwan has banned pork imports from the Netherlands temporarily over fears of dioxin contamination, a health department official said on Feb 4.

The official said imports of pork and pig viscera have been suspended and sales of imports already in Taiwan are banned too.

The move was made after suspected cases of dioxin poisoning in pigs and chickens were reported in the Netherlands and Belgium, he said.

Dioxin has been known to cause a range of illnesses in human beings such as cancer, miscarriages and metabolism malfunction.