50,000 contaminated pigs slaughtered since pork crisis

Almost 50,000 contaminated pigs have already been slaughtered as a result of the dioxin scare that led to the withdrawal of all Irish pork and bacon products late last year.

The secretary-general of the Department of Agriculture told an Oireachtas committee today that a further 40,000 pigs were also due to be slaughtered before the end of this week.