MORE THAN 90% OF NON-EEA SEAFOOD IMPORTS INTO NORWAY FREE OF CONTAMINATION
The overwhelming majority of seafood imports into Norway from outside the European Economic Area are free of contamination, a report has found.
The study found that just eight out of 91 or 8.8% of samples analysed last year had chemical or undesirable microorganism contamination.
Even when contamination was found, it was often within permitted levels and so would be unlikely to pose a risk to health.
It is the latest report to indicate that the risks from food contamination in Europe are low.
Entitled, “Monitoring programme for veterinary control on seafood products imported to Norway from third countries – Results from 2020,” the report described the results from samples collected by personnel at the Norwegian Border Inspection Posts (BIPs).
The analytical work for the report was undertaken by the Institute of Marine Research on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA), known as Mattilsynet.
“A total of 91 samples from the NFSA, collected at the BIPs, were examined by a selection of analytical methods and assays for microorganisms and undesirable chemical substances,” the report’s summary stated.
“Eight of the samples examined contained undesirable microorganisms or had trace elements or persistent organic pollutants (POPs) exceeding respective maximum levels.”
Analysis for contamination by microorganisms was carried out on 74 samples, with four found to contain Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis, although levels were below the maximum permitted by the European Union.
Among 86 samples tested for undesirable trace elements, just one (a fish) exceeded the maximum levels for mercury, while only two (one fish and one squid) were above limits for cadmium. One sample, out of 30 tested, was found to breach rules on POPs.
In related news, Sial Paris Newsroom reported recently that 96.1% of tens of thousands of food samples tested in the European Union had pesticide residues within permitted limits.
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