Some fish oil products contain excessive levels of dioxins

Some fish oil and fish liver oil capsules products contain levels of dioxins which will exceed new European maximum levels, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has warned.

The authority is stressing that these products pose no health risk as long as consumers abide by the manufacturers' dosage instructions.

In a study published yesterday, it is urging non-compliant manufacturers to reduce dioxin levels in their products before the new limits come into force on July 1st.

The study, which was done in advance of the introduction of the limits, found that the incidence of dioxins in Irish farmed trout and salmon were "well below the maximum limit set by the pending European legislation.

"In contrast, some fish oil and fish liver oil capsules, representing a small percentage of the Irish market, were found to exceed the new European maximum limits," said Dr Wayne Anderson, chief specialist in food science with the FSAI. He said non-compliant manufacturers represented about 5 per cent of the market.

The EU scientific committee for food has determined that exposure to dioxins at levels below 14 picograms (1 pg = 0.0000000000001g) per kg body weight per week, is safe.

Dioxins occur naturally in the environment and accumulate in the fat of animals or in plant tissue. A person would reach unsafe levels by building up excessive amounts of dioxin in their body fat over their lifetime, Dr Anderson said. An excessive build-up over a lifetime can result in an increased risk of cancer.

Someone would probably have to take "five or six times the recommended dose every day to exceed the EU safety levels", Dr Anderson said. The authority was saying that manufacturers "are going to have to comply" with the new limits.