Cote d'Ivoire has banned meat imports from the European Union (EU) to prevent contaminated meat from entering the country, the government said on Wednesday.

According to a Commerce Ministry statement, the government has banned beef and pork imports from EU countries with effect from Dec. 10, after traces of dioxin were detected in samples of Irish pork products.

The government has conducted an emergency investigation into meat products on the market to ensure that no contaminated meat had entered Cote d'Ivoire, it added.

Data from the Livestock and Aquaculture Ministry showed that more than half of the 130,000 tons of meat products consumed in Cote d'Ivoire were imported, and half of the meat imports came from European countries like France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.