Animal pyre milk health warning

It is feared that burning carcasses may release dioxins

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned dairy farmers near sites used for burning animal carcasses not to drink the milk amid fears that it may be contaminated by a highly toxic chemical compound.

The agency says milk at some farms may contain high levels of dioxins - chemicals which are associated with a variety of health problems, such as cancer, lowered sperm counts, behavioural problems and diabetes.

But the agency said that consumers should not be worried as the pasteurising process removes many of the potential risks.

To date, around 500 fires for carcass disposal have been lit in Scotland during the foot-and-mouth outbreak, most of which have been in Dunfries and Galloway.

Milk from dozens of farms was tested

The FSA suspects that smoke from burning animal carcasses could be responsible for emitting the harmful dioxins.

The chemical compound is already present in the atmosphere and previous expert advice said the burning carcasses posed very little risk.

But now the FSA says all dairy farmers within a 2km radius of the fires should consider drinking milk from sources other than their own herds.

The agency's Lydia Wilkie, said: "The dioxin particles land on the grass, are eaten by the animals and go through their fat and into the fat content that is within milk.

"That means if its skimmed or semi-skimmed milk that risk is also majorly reduced."

The FSA said it considered the risk to dairy farmers to be very low.

Health fears

The agency also said that the milk from farms near carcass fires is diluted down with other milk and pastuerised before it reaches the shops.

Annandale and Eskdale Council for Voluntary Service raised concerns last month that the fires for burning animal carcasses could be affecting public health.

The group said railway sleepers used in the fires were soaked in bitumen, red diesel, and coal.

Spokesman Paul Thomas called for reassurance that the fires are not releasing carcinogenic materials into the air.

He said: "My understanding is that it is the known science that this releases dioxins into the atmosphere in sufficient concentrations within a 3km radius of the pyres to cause very serious long-term health problems."