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Tainted Irish pork seized in E China

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-01-25 15:46

BEIJING -- Chinese quarantine authorities in the eastern city of Nanjing have seized more than 23 tonnes of frozen Irish pork that was found to be contaminated with dioxin and ordered it be returned, state media said on Sunday.

Undated file photo shows that Irish farmers protest in Dublin. Chinese quarantine authorities in the eastern city of Nanjing have seized more than 23 tonnes of frozen Irish pork that was found to be contaminated with dioxin and ordered it be returned, state media said on Sunday. [telegraph.co.uk]

Related readings:  Irish find high dioxin levels in beef  China withholds 300 tons of Irish pork products at port  Irish PM leads trade mission to Japan  Irish pork banned after food scare

The pork was imported by a company in the nearby city of Suzhou in October, the Xinhua news agency said.

"Inspectors sealed the pork and ordered the company to send it back," the report added.

China banned the import of Irish pork last month following Dublin's order to recall domestically produced pork products because of contamination with dioxin, which in some forms and concentrations, and with long exposure, can cause cancer.

Irish pork was pulled from shelves in up to 25 countries, although production and sale of pork approved as safe by Irish authorities restarted soon after the scare.