Imported chicken that may have dioxin not a US consumer threat

The U.S. Agriculture Department says the Chilean Health Ministry has recalled 188,522 pounds of dioxin-tainted chicken products exported to the United States. The government of Chile issued an official notification for the presence of dioxin, a known carcinogen, in the chicken and the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service instructed importers to hold the product for re-inspection, officials said in a statement. The FSIS conducted an analysis of the Chilean test results and determined the risk to U.S. consumers was negligible. FSIS said it determined 126,082 pounds of the total amount recalled was being held. The agency said it is investigating the distribution of the remaining 62,440 pounds and will verify if additional shipments are involved. The FSIS is performing effectiveness checks in the United States by verifying that companies that have received the chicken products included in the Chile-initiated recall have been notified and that all of the adulterated chicken is held and destroyed.