Expert: More data needed on dioxin risk

AN expert on dioxins has suggested that state agencies should gather more data to give the public a clearer picture of the level of risk associated with having eaten any affected pork products.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) yesterday reiterated its belief that there should be no cause for concern about public health arising from the pork contamination crisis.

But James Heffron, professor of biochemistry at University College Cork, said state agencies could establish a more exact analysis of the risks to health within a few days by calculating the average consumption of affected products, along with the levels of dioxins detected and the length of time they were present in pork products. Professor Heffron is an acknowledged expert on toxicology, with dioxins and PCBs among his areas of specialist knowledge.