Germany shuts down farms over Dioxin fear

Germany has closed more than 4,700 farms after large amounts of animal feed were found to be contaminated with dioxin, a poisonous chemical, reports BBC.

Officials have insisted that the levels of dioxin do not pose a risk to humans, and that the farm closures are only a precaution.

Most of the affected farms are in Lower Saxony region, north-west Germany.

Last week, more than 1,000 farms were banned from selling eggs after dioxin was found in eggs and poultry.

Dioxin has been linked to the development of cancer in humans.