France lifts order on mozzarella sales

PARIS (Reuters) - France has lifted its order to shops to stop selling mozzarella cheese from Italy's Campania region following fears it might be contaminated with cancer-causing dioxin, the agriculture ministry said on Friday.

France had decided to go back on its earlier decision because the Italian authorities had given assurances that no such mozzarella had been put on sale in France, the ministry said in a statement.

The European Commission had also given assurances that Italy had made satisfactory progress in dealing with the case, it said.

"As a result, (the minister) confirms that the order made earlier....has no reason to be continued," it said.

(Reporting by Tamora Vidaillet and Valerie Parent; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)