Dioxin scandal shakes readers' faith in German products

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

Dioxin scare re-emerges as Germany closes over 900 more farms

The EU and its policies are creating more problems for each country as a member. So that is why the EU should be finished, go back to "Good Old Europe!" Please! -- Agatha, Canada

I am not going to consume meat, milk [or] cheese imported from Germany or German-made food containing animal or vegetable fat for a while. The real problem is that I've no guarantee that an Italian-made product doesn't contain contaminated material from Germany. It is quite common for Italian farms to buy young cows and pigs in Germany and France and to raise them in Italy. Also a lot of the biggest firms in the Italian food industry buy ingredients on the international and European market. I think that I am going to buy less meat, margarine and dairy products, even made in Italy. I am going to increase the use of local-made and organic items. I believe that a lot of the contaminated food will be recycled on the market. -- Massimo, Italy

Agriculture minister reveals dioxin action plan, consumer groups skeptical

What has happened to the well-known German character? Orderliness, cleanliness, honesty, and I could go on and on. Why did my Germany not foresee today's corrupt world and take the proper actions to prevent this kind of shame, why? -- Andreas, Canada

Environmentalists blame industrialized food production for dioxin scandal

Why were these products not tested before and during production as international standards suggest? Could it be some form of sabotage or to put the markets at a standstill? -- H, Malta

Dioxin scandal caused 'immense damage,' says agriculture minister

I am disappointed by this scandal. I always seek out German pork products in the local supermarkets - ham and salamis of various sorts. Now I have stopped buying these products and will not restart eating these until [there's] a clear, unequivocal statement from the German agriculture minister saying, "With effect from such and such date, German pork and pork products are free from dioxin." To those who reassure the consumers that one-time consumption of contaminated eggs or pork [is] harmless, I would say: dioxin mozzarella yesterday, dioxin eggs today, dioxin pork tomorrow, all consumed once, but all cumulative. Finally, since it has been known for years that dioxin is not easily destroyed, what is the logic of industrially using any material containing dioxin? -- JK, Great Britain

Compiled by Stuart Tiffen
Editor: Nancy Isenson