Vol. 512 No. 3
150 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the steps, if any, he will take to include dioxin and PCBs in the annual monitoring of residues following the contamination of animal feed in Belgium in 1999. [25919/99]
The pesticide control laboratory has been testing-monitoring samples of pork and beef for PCB residues since 1982. The results are contained in the report of the Department's national monitoring programme for pesticide residues in food which is published each year. As regards dioxins the position is that analyses of samples, when required, are carried out at officially approved laboratories in other countries. The establishment of a dedicated laboratory in this country to carry out dioxin analysis is under active consideration at present.
