In order to document food safety, the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, monitors the levels of illegal drugs and legally used veterinary drugs in Norwegian farmed fish.
The results of the surveillance programme show that at no time have residues of approved sea-lice drugs in excess of the internationally set limits been found in farmed fish for human consumption.
No residues of diflubenzurone or teflubenzurone have ever been found in fish fillets. The methods used to analyse for these substances are able to reveal concentrations of only a hundredth of the internationally set limits.
There are strict rules regarding the length of time that must elapse between giving medication to farmed fish and slaughtering them. This is to ensure that the farmed fish does not contain hazardous substances that might be transferred to the consumer. The responsibility for following this rule lies with the fish farmer and the person prescribing the drugs.
Because of the increasing use of azamethiphos and benzurones to combat sealice the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has extended the surveillance programme with increased number of analyses for the substances azamethiphos, diflubenzurone and teflubenzurone.
“The use of drugs for fish is strictly regulated and until now we have found neither illegal substances nor illegal levels of permitted substances in Norwegian farmed fish,” says Kristina Landsverk, Director of Controls at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
“Only the use of approved drugs is permitted. The approval of drugs is a comprehensive process in which food safety is one of the factors considered. Only authorised veterinarian and fish health biologists are permitted to write prescriptions for drugs for fish. The reason for this is to ensure that only approved drugs are used, in the correct way. The regulations also state the length of time that must occur between giving medication and slaughter. Furthermore, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority monitors all medicines that are ordered by veterinary surgeons and fish health biologists for use in fish farming. In addition to this, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority takes random samples of fish to investigate whether it contains undesirable substances or drug residues,” says Landsverk.
Press officer at The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, + 47 46 91 29 10
Published 16 June 2010