Police raided the office and plant of a German manufacturer of fats Wednesday amid growing fears in Germany that traces of dioxin in animal feed may show up in eggs, poultry and pork.
Sources said several cars with prosecutors and police visited the office of Harles and Jentzsch in the town of Uetersen, north-west of Hamburg, to gather evidence.
The company has admitted it made fat from a fatty acid that was not cleared for animal consumption.
Nearby prosecutors said Tuesday they had begun an inquiry into the firm. They told the German Press Agency dpa they had obtained a judge's warrant to conduct a search. Other manufacturers mixed the fat with grain and sold it to farms.