Pork problems

Occasionally, during the early stages of a food poisoning incident, investigators have difficulty in determining whether a microorganism or chemical is to blame. The discovery of dioxins in Irish pork in early December reminds us that media haste can foster public confusion even in a case that was explicitly chemical from the outset. " Animal feed contaminated with harmful toxins is thought to have infected pig products, including foods sold across Ireland and exported to the UK, " said The Independent on Sunday (7 December). " Consumer warning as Irish pork contamination spreads, " was The Guardian's page one headline next day, conjuring up images of a burgeoning epidemic. And the first scientist to be interviewed on radio and television was a microbiologist, Hugh Pennington of Aberdeen. Appearing on Channel 5 News (7 December), he opined cannily that it was too early to be certain of the degree of risk. That day's headline writers were more robust. " Cancer scare in Irish pork puts British stores on food safety alert " (The Mail on Sunday) and " Deadly contaminant found in Irish pork " (The Sunday Times) were followed 24 hours later by " Hunt for the poison pork " and " Poison pigs fed on plastic bags " (both in the Daily Mirror) and " Irish shock over poison pork crisis " (The Independent). The disclosure that triggered this coverage came on 6 December from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in the Irish Republic. " The Government today announces that laboratory results of animal feed and pork fat samples obtained this afternoon by the FSAI confirmed the presence of dioxins, " a press release said. " Consequently, the FSAI is requiring the food industry to recall from the market all Irish pork products produced from pigs slaughtered in Ireland…Preliminary evidence indicates that the contamination problem is likely to have started in September 2008. " While advising consumers, on precautionary rounds, not to eat Irish pork or bacon products, and confirming details of ongoing investigations, the FSAI provided a wealth of relevant background information to help journalists assess the significance of the incident. There was a well-constructed dossier of answers to pertinent questions and an even more detailed document about dioxins and possible health hazards. Unfortunately, little of this found its way into journalistic coverage in the UK during the first two days, when public interest and media …