Dioxin found in animal fats

Eat less fat if you want to lower the risk of ingesting dioxin, the pollutant which is a known carcinogen (cause of cancer).

This was one of the main findings of a 2,000 page report by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which succeeded in blackening dioxin's name further, if that were possible.

Apart from being a carcinogen, the agency believes it to be responsible for a wide range of other conditions.

Dioxin is produced in very low quantities, and is usually a by product of the incineration of medical waste. However, it can persist in the environment for very long periods and can concentrate in animal tissues. Humans are most likely to digest it by eating meat and dairy produce from animals that have fed on plants contaminated by airborne emissions.

!AThe Lancet, 24 September 1994.