Dioxin feed: Kaolinite from Rhineland-Palatinate also delivered to Bavaria

Dioxin contamination still open - but no contaminated animal feed in the Free State

As the responsible authorities have meanwhile announced, the Rhineland-Palatinate company that supplied dioxin-contaminated kaolinite to the Netherlands has also delivered kaolinite to Bavaria.

This is a delivery of 121 tons of kaolinite to a potato sorting company. About 1.000 tons of the total of about 45.000 tons of potatoes processed in the current year were sorted there in separating baths with this kaolinite. The kaolinite in question is currently being analyzed for dioxin contamination. Results are expected by the end of next week. As a precaution, the company will no longer use any kaolinite that is still available.

The sorted and thoroughly cleaned potatoes were sent to a potato processing company in Bavaria, which gave the peels as animal feed. A sample of potato peelings from ongoing production is analyzed. The farms that may have received potato peelings from this farm as animal feed are currently being identified.

As a precautionary measure, the Bavarian authorities had already determined the sorting technology used in potato processing companies in Bavaria yesterday. Only one company uses kaolinite.

Feed contaminated with dioxin from the Netherlands was not delivered to Bavaria.

Kaolinite is used in the production of potato products to separate high-starch potatoes suitable for making French fries and low-starch potatoes. Low-starch potatoes float to the top in the water bath containing kaolinite.

Source: Munich [stmlu]