The dioxin in chicken incident in Belgium in 1999: trouble or trifle?

Early 1999 dioxin-contaminated feedstuff was responsible for a poisoning at Belgian poultry farms resulting in seriously affected animals and products. Scarce data indicated levels of 500-1000 pg TEQ/g chicken fat, whereas 2-3 pg is normal. Consumption chicken weigh 1-1.5 kg and the average fat level is 15-20%. National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands evaluated the health risks with respect to long-term average consumption and incidental high consumption. The average annual consumption of chicken fat amounts to 1 g/day, resulting in an intake of 7-14 pg TEQ/kg bw/day, while incidental consumption of one half chicken led to an intake of 45-70 g fat, corresponding to 320-1000 pg TEQ/kg bw. The consumption exceeded the tolerable daily intake for dioxins (1-4 pg TEQ/kg bw/day) 2- to 14-fold and 80- to 1000-fold, respectively. Considering all available data RIVM concluded that negative health effects following long-term average consumption or incidental high consumption of contaminated chicken were unlikely to occur, but could not fully exclude minor subclinical effects.