Carcinogenic Herbicide Contaminates German Organic Food Supply

BERLIN--A weed killer containing the suspected carcinogen nitrofen has been found in German-derived organic animal products, including eggs, milk and meats such as chicken.

Nitrofen is allowed in limited amounts under European Union regulations, although Reuters reports that Germany found levels of nitrofen up to 18 times higher than the permitted maximum in several egg and chicken samples. As a result, Reuters reports many of Germany's largest supermarket chains are pulling scores of possibly affected organic products from shelves.

According to the National Institutes of Health's "Third Annual Report on Carcinogens," nitrofen is "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals." In particular, dietary nitrofen may increase the incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas and adenomas in mice of both sexes, as well as increase carcinogenic expression in the animals' livers, spleens and pancreases. At present, there is no available data for the carcinogenicity of nitrofen in humans. The United States stopped manufacturing and commercially using nitrofen in the 1980s.

According to Reuters, this misstep in the German organic system is attributed to one company, GS agri in Germany's Lower Saxony. Since November 2001, the company's wheat had tested positive at least 30 times for nitrofen, but it is estimated that GS agri still sold approximately 550 tons of grain to German organic feed producers. Reports of nitrofen contamination have been circulating for months in various countries, but it was never acted upon since this information was never passed to federal authorities, according to Reuters.

However, in a June 3 report from the German newspaper Lebensmittel Zeitung ("Food Newspaper"), the origin of the contamination has been linked to a warehouse in Eastern Germany. Reportedly, the warehouse once stored large amounts of pesticides and herbicides--including nitrofen. The dust in the warehouse was found to contain 2 g/kilo of Nitrofen--much higher than the .01 g tolerated by law. Allegedly, the owner of the warehouse sold wheat to GS agri, who in turn sold it to organic farmers.

The German Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture (BMVEL) (www.verbraucherministerium.de) stated in a release that it first heard of the nitrofen contamination May 21. The next day, after BMVEL investigated the issue, the contamination was found to have started in Lower Saxony; afterward, the agency informed authorities of Lower Saxony about its suspicions.

Across Europe, various countries are expressing concern about these findings. According to the Associated Press, Russia's Agriculture Ministry sent a request to Germany for more information about the extent of the contamination, and the Czech Republic has already banned imports of German poultry and poultry products.

According to the German Web site, Tagesschau.de ("News of the Day"), changes in fodder and food laws may be the next step to avert future contaminations.