Belgian farms face new toxic scare

Belgian officials are investigating more than two-hundred farms after examining animal feed and finding high levels of toxic material polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs that can cause cancer.

A government statement said any produce which might have come from animals which had eaten the suspect feed would be destroyed.

The farm minister, Jaak Gabriels, said his officials had moved quickly to prevent a repeat of the situation last year when eggs, meat and dairy products were found to be contaminated with dioxins.

That scare led to exports being banned and food being withdrawn from Belgian shops.

But a BBC correspondent says this latest problem will be a blow to Belgian farmers who have spent the past year trying to restore confidence in their produce.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service