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Incineration - How it effects food producers Ireland's reputation as a food producer is highly important to its economy. Would you want to destroy this? "There is clearly
a problem with animals reared close to .... waste disposal incinerators:"
Ireland’s current reputation as a food
producer Also we have an important beef and dairy industry. The fact that we have the lowest levels of dioxin in Europe undoubtedly gives us an advantage over other European countries. How incineration can
affect our reputation Toxins from incineration (carcinogenic dioxins being the most well known) enter the food chain with ease. Foods which tend to have the highest dioxin levels include dairy products, meat and poultry, eggs, fish and animal fats. Polluted food will seriously affect our health, particularly our children’s health, as they are 25 times more vulnerable to the emissions than adults. At the moment Ireland produces some of the least polluted food in the world. Do we want to lose out on this advantage to rival countries, such as New Zealand, who have adopted alternative waste management strategies? Why should the Ringaskiddy incinerators operate for Belgian profit, while local communities and local businesses pay with their health, their environment, their wasted raw materials and, in a big way, with their purses. Medical evidence This is not unexpected when we know that emission levels are set from desktop studies into the effects of these chemicals on an adult male. No one considers the most vulnerable in our societies nor the long term effect on future generations. Alternatives for dealing with animal and food
waste
Examples of contamination from incinerators Cluny, France Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada Hull, UK Cattle in Italy Belgian 'dioxin crisis' 1999 The Belgium ‘dioxin crisis’ of 1999
provides a salutary lesson. The Belgian food industry was badly damaged
when high levels of dioxin were discovered in eggs and chickens and
traced back to dioxin contaminated animal feed. Import bans by countries
worldwide included chicken, eggs, "Six years ago, during the
Belgian dioxin crisis, I was stationed at Felixstowe border inspection
post as an official veterinary inspector. A blanket ban had been placed
on the importation of foodstuffs from Belgium because of feared dioxin
contamination. This crisis cost the Belgian economy millions of pounds
as well as a major loss in consumer confidence ...." Dioxin scare 2004 BRUSSELS, Belgium, November 5, 2004 - Fear of dioxin contamination in European foods spread today on reports that Dutch potato by-products tainted with the cancer causing chemical had been sold to farmers in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. More than 160 farms have been closed in the Netherlands and Belgium after dioxin was found in dairy products. All of those farms reportedly had received shipments of animal feed which contained potato by-products from Canadian frozen potato chip fries manufacturer McCain that were contaminated with dioxin. Read more. Dioxin scare - February 2006 China and Taiwan ban pork from three European
countries over dioxin scare. Food Chain Fallout zone
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Cork
Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment |