Food Safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700

News and Information

July 10, 1997 

Attached is an advisory dated July 8 that the Agency is sending out to all slaughter and egg processing plants advising that a limited amount of poultry, livestock and eggs may have been exposed to high levels of dioxin in animal feed produced by two companies that may render the resulting food products adulterated. FSIS is directing plants to take steps to assure that the animals or eggs being processed do not contain elevated levels of dioxin as a result of animal exposure to this feed.

Also attached is a July 9 memo provided guidance to FSIS District Managers, which notes that plants must begin compliance with the measures contained in the advisory by Sunday, July 13.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued its own advisory to egg producers and catfish farmers and processors on July 8. FDA has also issued talk papers on July 3 and 7 on their actions to stop distribution of the contaminated animal feed, and eggs and catfish exposed to the feed. (Call FDA for copies of their materials at (301) 443-1130.)

For more information or assistance from FSIS, contact the FSIS Office of Field Operations at (202) 720-5190.

Attachments

For Further Information Contact:

• Media Inquiries: (202) 720-9113
• Congressional Inquiries: (202) 720-3897
• Constituent Inquiries: (202) 720-9113
• Consumer Inquiries: Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline; TTY: 1-800-256-7072.

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