The adoption of a new EU regulation setting strict brine-freezing conditions for tuna purse seiners has been welcomed as recognising and valuing the high sanitary and technological standards already applied by the European tropical tuna purse seine fleet.
The measure has been welcomed by Europêche, which stated that this is a standard only responsible operators can meet. As of 27th January 2026, Regulation (EU) 2025/1444 requires freezer vessels to demonstrate a validated, continuous process capable of reaching –18 °C in the fish core.
Crucially, brine temperature must be monitored electronically in real time, with records available to competent authorities. Only vessels with capacity validated and documented will be entered on an authorised list, a condition for placing tuna on the EU market.
This aims to eliminate fraudulent practices of re-freezing at -18°C tuna that was first frozen at a higher temperature and meant for other use, to sell it to consumers as ‘fresh’ or ‘frozen’.
Such practices can result in tuna developing dangerous levels of histamine, which poses a serious health risk to consumers. ‘The two latest RASFF alerts in October concerning histamine contamination in tuna from Indonesia and Sri Lanka clearly highlight the need for such a level playing field. European consumers have the right to expect that any tuna sold in the EU is completely safe, regardless of its origin,’ said Anne-France Mattlet, director of Europêche Tuna Group.
‘The high sanitary standards applied by the EU fleet must therefore become the prerequisite for any fleet wishing to access the EU market.’
This new regulation is seen as aligning market-access conditions with the level of control and investment that characterises the EU fleet. It recognizes the long-term commitment of the EU fleet to measurable performance and verified safety. Long before this regulation, European operators had already equipped their vessels with advanced brine-freezing and monitoring systems, tested and documented under real conditions.
‘The industry did the science and proved the technology to make EU-frozen tuna at –18 °C a global reference for safety and reliability. This is the standard others will now have to match to reach the EU market,’ Anne-France Mattlet said.
‘The new rule also addresses a public health concern. When it comes to food safety, alignment of all products sold in the EU with EU standards is a necessity.’
