There is a disturbing revelation from the B.C. missing women investigation. Human remains may have found their way into meat processed at the Pickton pig farm in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.

In a news conference late Wednesday afternoon, provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall confirmed earlier reports of this possibility.

"Given the state of the farm and what we know about the investigation, we cannot rule out the possibility that cross-contamination did occur," Kendall said.

Cross-contamination, he explained, "could mean that human remains did get into, or contaminate, some of the pork meat that was produced."

Kendall said he was asked by investigators to look into the potential health risk of consuming meat from the slaughterhouse on the pig farm owned by accused murderer Robert Pickton and his two siblings.

Kendall noted that meat from the farm wasn't sold commercially and cautioned against a widespread panic in the B.C. Lower Mainland. He said investigators are targeting a select few people who may have had direct contact with the Pickton farm.

"There is no evidence any of this material went into the commercial food trade," Kendall said. "But there was a meat packaging and distribution operation at the farm."

"So some of the meat was given away, some was eaten at barbecues, and some was given to a number of close associates of Mr. Pickton."

Based on information received from the RCMP, he said, "we have reason to believe there is a strong possibility that some of the product from the Pickton farm ... may still be sitting in some people's freezers in the Lower Mainland."

"We really want to stress that point to you," RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Catherine Galliford told reporters at another briefing moments later. "There is no evidence we are dealing with anything but a very, very localized issue involving a specific number of local people."

But Kendall said the possibility of a small amount of the meat sitting stored in the back of someone's freezer is enough to cause concern.

"Any meat that might remain in people's storage does pose some quantifiable risk to human health," he said, explaining the danger comes from bacterial pathogens or parasites that could be harmful if consumed in uncooked or partially cooked meat.

Kendall noted that a search of health records has not turned up any illness likely linked to consumption of the meat, and the risk posed by eating "thoroughly cooked meat would be minimal."

Regardless, police are asking anyone who is still in possession of meat obtained from the Pickton farm to contact the Joint Missing Women Task Force.

Kendall said today's news spread as his department looked into the RCMP's hypothetical question. "Given the media interest, it's very hard to communicate this to 40 people and not have the story spread," he said.

Speaking on behalf of the police task force investigating the case, Cpl. Galliford apologized for any distress the leak may have caused victims' families.

"We've stated time and time again that any information that's going to be shared with the media will be shared with the families first.

"We had an operational plan in place that would have seen investigators share this information... in person with each and every family member of the missing women," she explained. "Unfortunately, we had to change that plan at the last minute."

Police raided the Pickton property farm in February, 2002, and finally wrapped up their excavation and search of the property last November.

Pickton, 54, faces 15 counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of women who disappeared from downtown Vancouver's Eastside. He is not expected to stand trial until late this year or early in 2005.