Yunlin County lamb meat found dioxin-tainted, no market impact

On July 1, a lamb in Yunlin County, Taiwan was slaughtered and a retained sample taken on July 6 tested positive for dioxin (PCDD/F) at 4.6 pg/g fat, exceeding the legal limit of 2.5 pg/g. The contamination involved only a single animal and the meat never entered the market.

The incident was linked to a farmer surnamed Lee who used a falsified health certificate from the “Yunlin Agricultural Farm” to send the sheep to the market. The Food and Drug Administration, the Agriculture Ministry, the Environmental Protection Administration and the Yunlin County government have launched a joint investigation, lifted movement restrictions on the farm after feed and grass tests met standards, and are sampling soil, groundwater and air. About four tonnes of the related “Jianan” sheep‑milk product have been recalled as a precaution. TFDA Director Jiang Zhigang and Yunlin County Agricultural Affairs Director Wei Shengde emphasized that there is no consumer risk, but the case has sparked public concern and affected lamb and milk product sales.