The then Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) opposition leader Guy Verhofstadt claimed that the government was trying to cover up the so-called "nota Destickere", which proved that several secretaries of state were informed much earlier that the food contained PCBs and dioxins.
Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of dioxin-like toxins well above normal limits in the eggs, tissues and feed of the affected birds.
This forced the commission to ban certain recycling streams (like frying oil) from entering the food chain in order to prevent future contamination.
This meant a victory for the VLD and Guy Verhofstadt, who had brought the affair to public attention in the first place, resulting in him becoming Prime Minister of Belgium until 2007.
In 2001, a public report announced that high dioxin levels were detected in Belgians' blood plasma compared to other European populations.