The dioxin in chicken incident in Belgium in 1999: trouble or trifle?
Early 1999 dioxin-contaminated feedstuff was responsible for a poisoning at Belgian poultry farms resulting in seriously affected animals and products. Scarce data indicated levels of 500-1000 pg TEQ/g chicken fat, whereas 2-3 pg is normal. Consumption chicken weigh 1-1.5 kg and the average fat level is 15-20%. National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands evaluated the health risks with respect to long-term average consumption and incidental high consumption. The average annual consumption of chicken fat amounts to 1 g/day, resulting in an intake of 7-14 pg TEQ/kg bw/day, while incidental consumption of one half chicken led to an intake of 45-70 g fat, corresponding to 320-1000 pg TEQ/kg bw. The consumption exceeded the tolerable daily intake for dioxins (1-4 pg TEQ/kg bw/day) 2- to 14-fold and 80- to 1000-fold, respectively. Considering all available data RIVM concluded that negative health effects following long-term average consumption or incidental high consumption of contaminated chicken were unlikely to occur, but could not fully exclude minor subclinical effects.
Jan Baars
A
A
National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Substances and Risk Assessment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. aj.baars@rivm.nl
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium; D002645:Chickens; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced
D004041:Dietary Fats; D004147:Dioxins