The public prosecution department has launched a criminal investigation into the use of a banned antibiotic in Dutch animal feed from a producer near Utrecht.

In a statement on Friday the department said business premises and a private house have been searched as part of the investigation.

Food safety inspectors have shut 102 Dutch pig and veal farms and 11 in Germany because they were delivered feed containing the antibiotic furazolidone, the Financieele Dagblad said earlier on Friday.

Carcenogenic

The feed came from a producer in Lopik which was closed down by inspectors two days ago. Furazolidone is banned in Europe and known to be carcenogenic.

Food safety inspectors are due to decide on Friday if all the animals on the farms should be destroyed, ANP says.

The new closures appear to be related to the finding of contaminated feed on five farms in Gelderland a month ago.

Health

At the time, inspectors said the meat from the farms would not be recalled because there was no immediate risk to public health. Meat from farms using the contaminated feed was sold in Belgium, France, Germany and Italy as well as in the Netherlands, Nos television says.

However, according to website Boederij.nl, nearly 2,500 calves on the farms were killed because of the contamination.

According to website Melkvee.nl, the feed producer blames the contamination on manure from racing pigeons which gather at his farm. However, experts have scoffed at this explanation, the FD says.