On behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the National Institute for Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) has analysed the samples of farmed fish to monitor undesirable substances and residues of illegal drugs. The surveillance progamme include the following species salmon, trout, rainbow trout, Arctic char, turbot, halibut, cod and pollack. The report of NIFES finds no illegal drug residues in the samples of farmed fish analysed.
NIFES also carried out analysis to determine the levels of approved veterinary drugs. This analysis was carried out on samples of fillets taken from fish in harvesting or packing plants. A number of approved substances can be used to treat sea lice infection in farmed fish. In 2009 sample material taken from 910 fish (salmon, rainbow trout, trout, halibut and cod) was analysed for six different delousing agents: cypermethrin, deltamethrin, diflubenzuron, emamectin benzoate, ivermectin and teflubenzuron.
To a great extent, the level of contaminants in farmed fish fillets reflects the feed that is given to the fish. EU and Norway has set upper limit values for a number of undesirable substances in fish. The figures for 2009 show that the levels of contaminants in farmed fish fillets are low compared with the EU’s upper limits for these contaminants where such limits exist. Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs are fat soluble environmental pollutants which are found in fatty fish. Mercury is an environmental pollutant which is absorbed and stored in both fatty and low fat fish.
It is really important to maintain the level of food safety by monitoring the level of these substances in fish for consumption. None of the samples analysed contained levels of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs or mercury close to the EU’s upper limit values for these substances.
