Levels of toxins in Irish food are among the lowest in Europe, but experts say it's too early to relax, writes Dick Ahlstrom
The Republic has some of the lowest background levels of dioxins and other dangerous chemicals, according to research by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, but we must not allow ourselves to grow complacent, the authority's acting chief executive has warned.
Alan Reilly also says it is wrong that the State is still unable to do its own tests for dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs). "We don't have a lab to test for dioxins. We are still getting our tests done outside the State," he says. These tests cost up to €1,000 each. "Ireland needs to have facilities to do this type of analysis."
Earlier this month the authority released the latest data on POPs in the Irish food chain. In general the figures are encouraging, although they show that, as in all other parts of the world, our environment carries a burden of these chemicals. These in turn build up in animal food products, entering our food chain, where they can accumulate over time.
The authority's interest in POPs began as soon as it was established in 1999, says Reilly. Concerns were fuelled in particular by a dioxin scare in Belgium, when the chemical was processed into animal feed that was then distributed around the world. Animals picked up the dioxin after eating the feed, in turn exposing large numbers of people to the substance. "It showed how within three weeks there was widespread contamination from a single source due to the global nature of the food industry," says Reilly.
POPs are of particular concern to those involved in food safety. They include the infamous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and furans, as well as organochlorine pesticides, including DDT and chlordane. All are extremely persistent once released into the environment. They break down very slowly and are fat soluble, so they readily bioaccumulate in animals and humans.
They have known health effects, being both carcinogens and dangerous to the growing foetus, according to Reilly. The chemicals can interfere with the normal development of the fetus's neural system. "That is where you would get an influence."
The authority runs the national food-surveillance programme for a host of substances, including POPs. "We are actively looking for these in the food supply, and they are found mainly in foods of animal origin."
One of the best assessments of background levels comes through working with nursing mothers. "Probably the best indicator of levels of dioxins and PCBs is to measure them in breast milk. You can look at the lifetime build-up."
The picture here is good compared with that in other European countries, he says. "The breast-milk levels in Irish women are the lowest in Europe."
He adds, however, that intensive monitoring is required to ensure that any new industrial activity known to produce POPs, such as incineration and chemical production, does not raise background levels.
"We don't want to see any introduction of the technologies that produce them. The best way to ensure food safety is an active monitoring programme."
POP data collected over the past 11 years shows that background levels are in decline here despite industrial activity - largely, Reilly says, because of the introduction of the Environmental Protection Agency's licensing system for chemical discharges.
This put strict limits to POP output, and as a result the background level is slowly falling.
Even so, says Reilly, he would call for intensive monitoring around any new incineration facility, to ensure that consumers are protected.
