Ukraine to investigate German dioxin corn allegations

Ukraine will launch a probe into reports in the German media that traces of dioxin were found in Ukrainian corn exports to the EU, said the Ukrainian agriculture minister.

Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said investigations would be carried out, despite the fact that Germany has not yet made any formal charges.

"There are only media reports, nothing else, but we will initiate an investigation in any case," he said.

According to Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, millions of eggs were pulled from German Rewe and Lidl supermarket chains for showing traces of dioxin, which had apparently originated in the chicken feed.

The German Consumer Rights Protection Association said Ukrainian corn feed had been supplied to farms in at least nine German states.

Prysyazhnyuk said the Ukrainian government had already held a special meeting to address the issue and that it would take all necessary steps to ensure the media allegations were dropped.

"We will conduct an investigation because this affects our country's image," the minister said.