Dioxin feed: What McCain says about it

McCain answers questions about what happened with the potatoes, the kaolin, the dioxin and the animal feed. They say that they have a functioning quality assurance system that has been checked again and again and that the upstream supplier has repeatedly assured that there is no dirt on the plug or hazardous substances in the clay...

When did McCain learn about dioxin contamination?

McCain's potato products are impeccable. This is the result of investigations initiated by the Dutch authorities and McCain Holland. The Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection also stated in its press release of November 4th that the potato products do not pose any danger. It is true that by-products that are processed as animal feed contain dioxin contamination. On November 3, 2004, laboratory investigations identified the source of this contamination in a dioxin-containing kaolin clay used as a separation aid in the sorting plant. On the same day, the Dutch authorities published this information and passed it on to their colleagues in the other EU countries as part of the European Rapid Alert System.

How and why is kaolin clay used at McCain?

Kaolin clay is used exclusively in the sorting system (preliminary stage of the production of potato products). This separation aid is used to sort out potatoes that are unsuitable for production. The sorting takes place in a water bath in which kaolin clay is added. This allows unsuitable potatoes to remain on the surface of the water and therefore be sorted out.

The supplier of the dioxin-containing kaolin clay from Rhineland-Palatinate claims that its product is OK. Who takes responsibility for the purity of the clay used?

McCain sees itself as a responsible company and acts accordingly. In the current situation, McCain is working closely with the Dutch and German authorities to clarify and eliminate the causes of the contamination that has occurred. The production processes in McCain's plants are constantly monitored according to strict quality standards, and the factories themselves are certified.

The supplier of the kaolin clay assured that its products were suitable for the potato separation process and that the products did not contain excessive dioxin levels. Unfortunately, investigations carried out in collaboration with the Dutch authorities have shown that samples of this clay do show elevated dioxin levels.

The quality level of McCain's works is regularly checked. Most recently, on November 4, McCain's facilities in Lelystad and Hoofddorp in the Netherlands were audited by the Dutch Feed Association. The inspection by an independent auditor confirmed that the food safety system and quality controls in the plants are in order and functioning.

Will McCain continue to use kaolin clay as a release agent?

No, McCain already suspended the use of this tone last weekend (that is, the weekend of October 30-31, 2004) as a precaution. Instead, a salt solution separation process is used.

The Dutch Agriculture Minister says French fries also have “slightly elevated” dioxin levels. How does this statement square with your claim that your products are “flawless”?

McCain's potato products are flawless and do not have elevated dioxin levels. An analysis initiated by McCain of 28 samples of McCain potato products from September 13, 2004 to October 22, 2004 has shown that there are no measurable dioxin levels in our products, or only levels that are significantly below those specified by the trigger value set by the European Union.

It must be taken into account that dioxin occurs naturally in the environment. Accordingly, at least trace elements of dioxin can be found in many daily products. For example: the usual dioxin levels found in vegetables are usually many times higher than the levels found in McCain products.

Source: Eschborn [McCain]