A research project by VTT BIOTECHNOLOGIE and the University of Helsinki shows that cloudberries and raspberries contain a phenol that inhibits the growth of certain intestinal bacteria.

The study looked at commercially grown Finnish berries, particularly cloudberries [multe] and raspberries. Among other things, the researchers found a phenol that inhibits the growth of harmful intestinal bacteria and other pathogenic germs. Other berries and fruit contain only small traces of phenol.

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The producer association Osnabrück (EGO) separates from the country slaughterhouse Pieper. Pieper managing directors Wolfgang Lehmkuhl and Klaus Zabel acquire equal shares in the meat products factory in Lippe. With this step, EGO wants to complete the structural adjustment of the group, according to the company. Zahel justified the sale by EGO wanting to concentrate on its core competencies.

Pieper joined the EGO group of companies in 1995 after insolvency. However, EGO should remain a Pieper supplier. Pieper was restructured in 2003, has 62 (previous year a good 80) employees and has a turnover of 15 million euros, mainly with cooked and dry sausages. In the future, ham will also be "an issue," says Zahel.

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German production pushes back imports

Duck meat is becoming more and more popular in Germany, be it as a portion-sized cut for the pan at home, served ready-made in a Chinese restaurant or traditionally as a festive roast for the Christmas holidays. In the period from 1993 to 2003, consumption in Germany rose by 67.100 percent from 22 tons back then to 81.900 tons.

In the current year, the supply of ducks on the German market is unlikely to increase any further, but it should be as high as in 2003. This means that ready-to-roast frozen ducks, which are also in greater demand in private households towards the end of the year, will again be available quite cheaply . The first price observations by the ZMP at the shop level point in this direction: According to this, the retail trade charged an average of 2,57 euros for a kilogram of frozen duck in October, compared to 2,65 euros in the same period last year. On average for the months October to December 2003, retailers charged 2,59 euros per kilogram for ready-to-roast, frozen duck; in 2002 consumers had to pay an average of 2,84 euros.

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Minister Bärbel Höhn: Three farms closed as a precaution because of suspected dioxin-containing feed - meat of the affected animals is examined

Three farms in North Rhine-Westphalia were closed on Wednesday evening as a precaution. The reason for this was the findings of the Dutch authorities that these companies had purchased animal feed contaminated with dioxin from the Netherlands. The three farms are bull fattening farms with a total of 2.000 animals. Until the investigations have been completed by the North Rhine-Westphalian authorities, no cattle may be taken from these farms and sold.

The North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Agriculture was informed early in the evening via the EU rapid warning system that the Dutch authorities yesterday closed 140 farms in the Netherlands as a precautionary measure that used to purchase animal feed made from leftover potatoes. These leftover potatoes come from a French fries manufacturer's production facility. Since the beginning of August 2004, this company has been using kaolinite clay, which comes from a Rhineland-Palatinate company, as a separation aid for sorting potatoes. The Dutch inspectors determined a dioxin contamination of 910 nanograms per kilogram of bran. The permitted limit for kaolinite clay is 0,75 nanograms per kilogram. The Dutch authorities got on the trail of feed contamination when they found inadmissibly high dioxin levels in the milk of a producer.

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Dioxin in animal feed from the Netherlands

On Tuesday November 3rd, the Dutch authorities informed via the European Rapid Alert System about dioxin contaminations in animal feed from a Dutch company. In the company that manufactures potato products (eg french fries), a dioxin-containing clay mineral kaolinite from Germany was used as an auxiliary for sorting potatoes. The authorities in the Netherlands assume that the by-products given out as animal feed (e.g. sorted potatoes, potato skins, potato pieces) contain the contaminated additive kaolinite. According to current knowledge, 162 farms were supplied in the Netherlands, eight in Belgium and three fattening farms in Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). The establishments have been closed by the responsible authorities, so that no food from these establishments is currently being sold on the market. As early as November 1st, the Dutch authorities reported that they had found increased levels of dioxins in milk. Of the 70 samples, one was above the limit. As a result, the determination of the causes was initiated, which has now led to the discovery of the feed contamination.

According to the Dutch authorities, there is no danger from the potato products manufactured in the Dutch company, since the dioxin contamination is technologically limited to the by-products, i.e. the animal feed.

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McCain answers questions about what happened to 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 sub-supplier has repeatedly assured that there is no dirt on the plug or hazardous substances in the clay... When did McCain find out 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.

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The spokeswoman for the working group for consumer protection, nutrition and agriculture of the SPD parliamentary group, Waltraud Wolff, explains the dioxin contamination of animal feed from the Netherlands:

On Tuesday, November 3rd, 2004, the Dutch authorities informed via the European Rapid Alert System about dioxin contamination in animal feed from a Dutch company. In the company that produces potato products (e.g. french fries), a dioxin-containing clay mineral kaolinite from Germany was used as an auxiliary for sorting potatoes. The authorities in the Netherlands assume that the by-products sold as animal feed (e.g. sorted potatoes, potato skins, potato pieces) contain the contaminated additive kaolinite. According to current knowledge, 162 farms were supplied in the Netherlands, eight in Belgium and three fattening farms in Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). The companies have been closed by the responsible authorities, so that no food from these companies is currently being sold on the market.

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Goldmann not with the demand for stricter feed law - find clarity

The agricultural and food policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Hans-Michael Goldmann, explains the reports of animal feed being contaminated with dioxin:

Now all the necessary control and security measures must take effect as quickly as possible. Consumers must be protected from possible health hazards caused by the carcinogenic toxin dioxin. Farmers must not be supplied with even more polluted feed.
 
The contamination may have occurred during sorting of potatoes for the production of french fries. Marl clay, which could be responsible for the dioxin contamination, was used to sort the potatoes. According to media reports, the company in question in the Netherlands has already removed the marl clay from the production process. That would be a first and necessary step.

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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.

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Background information

The term dioxin refers to a large family of chemicals. They are polychlorinated aromatic compounds with a similar structure and similar chemical and physical properties. They are not produced intentionally, but are formed as a by-product of chemical reactions that span the spectrum from natural events such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires to anthropogenic processes such as the manufacture of chemicals, pesticides, steel and paint, the bleaching of pulp and paper, or exhaust emissions and waste incineration. For example, emissions from uncontrolled incineration of chlorinated waste in a waste incineration plant contain dioxins.

Of the 210 different dioxin compounds, only 17 are of toxicological concern. The most toxic dioxin that has been studied most thoroughly is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, abbreviated 2,3,7,8-TCDD. Dioxin is measured in "parts per trillion" (ppt).

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Assess meal in context

Table values ​​for the glycemic index - the so-called glyx factor - are not a reliable measure of the blood sugar effectiveness of meals. This is the result of a study by the University of Frederiksberg in Denmark.

The researchers recorded the course of blood sugar in 28 healthy young men after eating 13 different breakfast meals that are typical in Europe and compared the measured data with values ​​calculated from tables. The meals had the same carbohydrate content but differed in their fat, protein and energy content.

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