June 12, 2005

20,000 ducks culled in Taiwan for dioxin poisoning

Taiwan's health authorities have culled some 20,800 ducks after their eggs tested positive for dioxin poisoning, a local newspaper has reported.

The report said the contaminated ducks along with some 1.3 million tainted eggs found in six farms in central Changhua county were destroyed between March and June.

The Department of Health said that the farms were shut down to prevent further production of the contaminated eggs and that none of the contaminated eggs was sold to the market.

The authorities suspected the source of the dioxin was a nearby steel factory.