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Last Updated: Sunday December 07 2008 15:30 GMT

Irish pork taken off shop shelves

Pork products from Ireland

Sausages and bacon made from pigs from farms in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland should not be eaten because of health worries.

Many shops have taken all products made with pork from Ireland off their shelves, even though the health risks from eating them is very small.

It's thought some pigs in Ireland may have eaten feed containing things that could be dangerous called dioxins.

Some supermarkets and shops in England have said they don't sell Irish pork.

Some of the infected pork may have been on sale in shops in Northern Ireland and Ireland, but people shouldn't be too worried.

If someone was to eat a lot of dioxins then it could be very bad for their health. But they would have to eat a lot of the infected pork over a long period of time.

The chief medical officer of the Republic of Ireland, Dr Tony Holohan, said anyone who had eaten pig meat did not need to seek medical help.


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