The Norwegian Food Safety Authority control the fish feed producers on three levels:
1. Approval and registration of the producer and their own control system
2. Revision of the producers own control system
3. Inspection and spot checks where samples are collected
Monitoring of feeding stuffs is a supplement to surveillance of e.g. salmon fillets, since fish fed the same feed will have similar levels of nutrients and contaminants in the fillets, and since feed is the main source of contaminants in farmed fish. The Monitoring program of fish feed and feed ingredients is part of the overall control system as mentioned under 3.
Samples are taken and analysed in accordance with a scheduled test plan each year. One sample is taken for every 100 tonnes of fish feed produced. The feed samples are analysed for prohibited feed materials such as bone-meal, blood-meal and genetically modified material, in addition to microbiological parameters such as Salmonella sp., Enterobacteriacea and mould.
The samples are also screened for undesirable substances with and without upper limits such as mycotoxins, organic contaminants and heavy metals. Additives must be approved, and relevant additives analysed are colorants, antioxidants, essential micronutrients with an EU upper limit including vitamins and micro minerals. In addition analyses related to reliability in trade are carried out e.g. agreement between declared content and analysed content of ash, fat, protein and dry matter.
Laboratory analyses are carried out by NIFES in collaboration with public and private laboratories. The annual reports with the results of the monitoring also specify the enterprises being monitored, and are published at the web site of NIFES and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (only available in Norwegian).
The approximate composition of Norwegian fish feed is as follows: between 33 and 56 pst protein; 12 to 40 pst fat; 12 to15 pst carbohydrates and 5 to10 pst water. The results from the surveillance program have shown that feed materials used in Norwegian fish feed are in accordance with regulations on undesirable substances, the list of prohibited feed materials, the regulation on prohibited processed animal proteins and the regulations on labelling.
Low content of heavy metals
The results from this surveillance program have shown that genetically modified feed materials in quantities requiring declaration have not been used and that the feed additives used are approved. The contents of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury have been shown to be low. The content of the sum of dioxins and dioxin like PCBs in complete fish feed was found to be in the range between 0,28 and 1,9 ng WHO-TEQ/kg feed which is well below the maximum limit of 7 ng WHO-TEQ/kg. The ethoxyquin content was found to be far below the permitted limit.
In conclusion the results from the surveillance program show that Norwegian fish feed are produced in accordance with the feed legislation and do not represent a hazard neither to animal health, human health nor to the environment. The surveillance has shown that certain types of Salmonella occasionally is detected in feeding stuffs. These Salmonella types does not multiply in the fish, and the risk for Salmonella in contaminated fish feed to be passed on to the consumer via seafood products are considered negligible
In cases of non-compliance, the feed products in question are withheld from the market and notification is sent internationally via a separate alert system.
Last updated 9 March 2010