Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 10/7/15


USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has posted the publication, “DIOXIN FY 2013 Survey: Dioxins and Dioxin-Like Compounds in the U.S. Domestic Meat and Poultry Supply,” representing the latest data available on this class of chemical contaminants.  

The Toxic Equivalent (TEQ) values for the slaughter classes appear to have decreased in the last five years. The TEQ values are toxicity potency factors established by the World Health Organization (WHO) to characterize the relative potency of each DLC. From 2008 to 2013, the median TEQs had decreased about 9.5 percent for beef, 31 percent for pork, 33 percent for chickens, and 35 percent for turkeys, respectively.

FSIS will continue to observe and report the decline of dioxin levels in meat and poultry products. These results will be used to inform future rulemaking and to assess the economic impact of FSIS regulations.

The publication was produced in conjunction with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency and provides the latest version of the “Dioxin Survey” which outlines efforts to detect and identify possible sources of dioxin in the food supply. This survey provides insight on changes in human exposure to dioxin-like compounds (DLC) through dietary components.

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