Italy faces a possible ban on mozzarella in Europe unless it makes more efforts to ensure that the dioxin contaminated cheese reaches the EU markets.

"The European Commission has urged the Italian authorities to take further measures to ensure that dioxin-contaminated mozzarella cheese will not enter the EU market as it considers insufficient the actions taken up to now," a statement said, as reported by Reuters on its website.

Import of mozzarella made of buffalo milk was already restricted in Japan and South Korea, due to high levels of dioxin, a very dangerous, cancer-causing toxin, that was found in the milk used for cheese preparation.

After detecting the high levels of dioxin, about 80 cow farms were shut down. Experts also estimated a drop of 60 percent of the sales, which could mean several millions of dollars.

Nina Papadoulaki, EU health and food safety spokeswoman, said the EU urged Italy to offer very complex information about the cheese produced in the Campania region.

"We are waiting for complete, concrete information that we are asking from the Italian authorities," Papadoulaki said, according to the Associated Press. "If we don't get everything that we want," she said, "we will see whether further or any measures need to be taken."

A Health Ministry official from Rome, Silvio Borrello, said that Italy respected the rules imposed by EU, sending complete information about the production of cheese.

The contaminated milk is currently being destroyed and more farms are being inspected.