Polish companies received fishmeal contaminated with harmful drug

Polish companies may have imported as much as 200 tons of fishmeal which could have been contaminated with a dangerous antibiotic. The antibiotic in question, chloramphenicol, can disrupt red blood cell production in humans. The fishmeal was imported into Poland from Germany, which in turn purchased it from the Netherlands. Originally, the feed was ordered to be destroyed by a Dutch inspectorate but was exported to Germany instead. German officials said they received the contaminated shrimp as part of a 188-ton consignment of fish scraps which were then shipped to a local feed plant. Poland's chief veterinarian warned that part of the fishmeal imported into Poland may have already been sold to feed manufacturers. The Dutch food inspectorate will send the public prosecutor a report this week on its probe into the contaminated fishmeal. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 4; Reuters) M.T.K.