Listeria monocytogenes in salmonid slaughter facilities - Screening program for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium of special concern in the seafood industry beacuse it possesses several properties adapted for the food production environment and may cause severe disease in humans. The Institute of Marine Research has on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority conducted a screening program for L. monocytogens in salmonid slaughter facilities. In total, 358 samples from 60 slaugher facilities (49 slaughtering plants and 11 slaughtering vessels) were examined. Samples were collected from the production environment (n=108), from the surface of fish entering the facilities (n=47), and from the surface of fish (n=59) and raw material (n=144) at end point at the examined facility. None of the samples from the slaughtering vessels were positive for L. monocytogenes, whereas 22 positive samples were detected in nine different slaugtering plants. In five of these plants, several positive samples were found. Six of the slaughtering plants had positive samples at the end of the production line, where a higher prevalence was found when swabbing the fish skin and gills compared to the examined raw matierial. All the raw material samples contained low numbers of L. monocytogenes below the quatification limit (<10 CFU/g). However, this study found that L. monocytogenes can be present in both fish and the production environment, and that in some cases L. monocytogenes will be present in fish ready for furhter processing in the salmonid value chain.publishedVersio

Monitoring programme for veterinary control on seafood products imported to Norway from third countries - Results from 2022

This report summarises results from the ongoing monitoring programme for veterinary border control on seafood products imported to Norway from countries outside the EU and the European Economic Area in 2022. Eight samples of products imported in 2021 but analysed in 2022 are also included. Samples were collected by personnel at the Norwegian Border Inspection Posts (BIP). The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) carried out the analytical work on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA). We want to thank NFSA for good cooperation during the conduct of this monitoring programme. A risk assessment for different groups of imported products formed the basis for the selection of analytical activities, where current trend of hazards, as reported in The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notification system and the compositional nature of the products and origin formed an up-to-date basis for the risk assessment.Monitoring programme for veterinary control on seafood products imported to Norway from third countries - Results from 2022publishedVersio

Monitoring programme for veterinary control on seafood products imported to Norway from third countries – results from 2018

This report summarises results from the ongoing monitoring programme for veterinary border control on seafood products imported to Norway from countries outside the EU and the European Economic Area from 2018. The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) carried out the analytical work on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA), in cooperation with the personnel at the Norwegian Border Inspection Posts (BIP). We want to thank NFSA for very good cooperation during the conduct of this monitoring programme. An up to date risk assessment for different groups of imported products, made the basis for the sampling plans and the selection of analytical activities. The current trend of hazards, as reported in The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notification system, the compositional nature of the products and the annual import quantity of relevant products, was evaluated in this risk assessment. A total of 122 samples from the NFSA, collected at the BIPs, were examined by a selection of analytical methods and assays for microorganisms, parasites and undesirable chemical substances. The analytical data are listed in Annex 1 and are summarised below. Microbiological analyses were performed on 104 samples. The results for microbiological indicator organisms for faecal contamination were mostly below detection limit or showed low bacterial counts. The microbiological quality parameters and indicator organisms for faecal contamination generally showed low numbers. However, higher counts were found in one sample of Yellowfin tuna imported from the Maldives and one sample of Pacific cod imported from Thailand. L. monocytogenes was detected in low quantity in one sample of Pacific cod from Thailand and in one sample of Norwegian herring re-imported to Norway from Egypt. No samples had pathogens in the genera Salmonella. Enterobacteriaceae was detected in one sample of feed imported from Chile.Yeast was found in two samples of feed from Chile, and in one sample of dried Yellow Stripe Trevally from Thailand and in Migas from China. Mould was detected in the same dried Yellow Stripe Trevally from Thailand and in Migas from China. Parasitological examination was carried out on 40 fish samples. Nematodes were found in nine of them (22.5%). Since fish were imported frozen, nematodes were dead and not infective. Thirteen seafood samples originating from aquaculture were analysed for residues of prohibited veterinary medicines, unauthorised dyes and antibacterial agents. None of these were detected. The chemical spoilage indicators histamine and total volatile basic nitrogen was examined in nineteen samples and all results were compliant with the maximum levels. Undesirable trace elements were measured in 89 samples. A sample of canned sardine in oil from the Philippines exceeded the maximum Cd level. A sample of small crabs from Thailand, assuming they were intended to be consumed whole, were slightly above the Pb maximum level. A frozen fillet sample of yellowfin tuna imported from Vietnam exceeded the Hg maximum level. Twenty-eight samples were analysed for the persistent organic pollutants dioxins/ furans and PCBs (DLPCBs and NDLPCBs), the PBDE class of compounds, the PAH class of compounds and organochlorine pesticides. One sample of fish oil from Turkey was found non-compliant with its maximum levels for dioxins and for the sum of dioxins and dioxin like PCBs. The levels of PBDEs in twenty-eight samples, and also the fifteen samples analysed for organochlorine pesticides, were within a range commonly observed in seafood. For the PAH class of compounds, one sample was analysed, and found compliant with its maximum levels.publishedVersio

Nasjonalt tilsynsprogram for produksjon av skjell og andre bløtdyr - prøver analysert i 2020 for kjemiske forurensende stoffer og mikroorganismer

I den mikrobiologiske delen av tilsynsprogrammet for skjell, tok Mattilsynet i 2020 ut i alt 192 prøver fordelt gjennom året. Av disse var 130 blåskjell (Mytilus edulis), 28 kamskjell (Pecten maximus), 20 flatøsters (Ostrea edulis), tre stillehavsøsters (Crassostrea gigas), fire av hjerteskjell (Cardiidae sp.), tre av teppeskjell (Politapes rhomboides), to av kongsnegl (Buccinum undatum) og to av oskjell (Modiolus modiolus). Prøvene ble sendt til Havforskningsinstituttet (HI) etter instruks utarbeidet av Mattilsynet, Seksjon for fisk og sjømat. Ved HIs laboratorier ble antall E. coli ble bestemt ved en flerrørs fortynningsmetodikk (MPN) i henhold til EUs referansemetode (Donovans metode, ISO 16649-3) og undersøkt med hensyn på forekomst av Salmonella ved hjelp av Bio-Rad Rapid`Salmonella metoden.Nasjonalt tilsynsprogram for produksjon av skjell og andre bløtdyr - prøver analysert i 2020 for kjemiske forurensende stoffer og mikroorganismerpublishedVersio

Program for overvåking av fôr til landdyr - Årsrapport for prøver analysert av Havforskningsinstituttet i 2022

Overvåknings- og kartleggingsprogrammet for landdyr fôr utføres på vegne av Mattilsynet, og Havforskningsinstituttet utførte i 2022 et utvalg av analyseporteføljen i dette overvåkingsprogrammet. Det ble motatt 39 prøver av fôr til drøvtyggere, som ble analysert for ulovlige prosesserte animalske proteiner (PAP) og Salmonella ved Havforskningsinstituttet. Resultatene viste ingen funn av ulovlig PAP eller bakterien Salmonella i fôrene som ble undersøkt i 2022.Program for overvåking av fôr til landdyr - Årsrapport for prøver analysert av Havforskningsinstituttet i 2022publishedVersio

Monitoring programme for veterinary control on seafood products imported to Norway from third countries – Results from 2019: In accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 136/2004, Annex II, Part 1

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Anisakid parasites (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in three commercially important gadid fish species from the southern Barents Sea, with emphasis on key infection drivers and spatial distribution within the hosts

Northeast Arctic cod, saithe and haddock are among the most important fisheries resources in Europe, largely shipped to various continental markets. The present study aimed to map the presence and distribution of larvae of parasitic nematodes in the Anisakidae family which are of socioeconomic and public health concern. Fishes were sourced from commercial catches during winter or spring in the southern Barents Sea. Samples of fish were inspected for nematodes using the UV-press method while anisakid species identification relied on sequencing of the mtDNA cox2 gene. Anisakis simplex (s.s.) was the most prevalent and abundant anisakid recorded, occurring at high infection levels in the viscera and flesh of cod and saithe, while being less abundant in haddock. Contracaecum osculatum (s.l.) larvae, not found in the fish flesh, showed moderate-to-high prevalence in saithe, haddock and cod, respectively. Most Pseudoterranova spp. larvae occurred at low-to-moderate prevalence, and low abundance, in the viscera (Pseudoterranova bulbosa) and flesh (Pseudoterranova decipiens (s.s.) and Pseudoterranova krabbei) of cod, only 2 P. decipiens (s.s.) appeared in the flesh of saithe. Body length was the single most important host-related factor to predict overall abundance of anisakid larvae in the fish species. The spatial distribution of Anisakis larvae in the fish flesh showed much higher abundances in the belly flaps than in the dorsal fillet parts. Trimming of the flesh by removing the belly flaps would reduce larval presence in the fillets of these gadid fish species by 86–91%.publishedVersio

Molecular characterization of the myoliquefactive fish parasite kudoa mirabilis (Cnidaria, kudoidae) from se Indian Ocean and its phylogenetic relationship with the kudoa thyrsites species complex

Myxosporean parasites of the genus Kudoa are fish parasites of great economic importance, as some species can affect the fish fillet quality by producing macroscopic cysts or generating post mortem myoliquefaction, commonly referred to as ‘soft flesh’. Kudoa mirabilis is a ‘soft flesh’-inducing species originally described based on morphology in the musculature of Trichiurus lepturus from the Indian Ocean. An integrative morphological and genetic characterization of K. mirabilis from the type host caught off the coast of Tanzania is here provided. The spores were stellate with four unequal polar capsules, showing similarities to Kudoa thyrsites. For comparative and validation purpose, K. mirabilis was compared morphologically and genetically with K. thyrsites reference isolates, including new obtained samples from the type host Thyrsites atun caught in the SE Atlantic Ocean. Morphological analyses of spores revealed key diagnostic characters clearly distinguishing the two Kudoa species. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU and LSU rRNA genes demonstrated that K. mirabilis is a distinct and valid species, representing a sister group to a K. thyrsites subclade that comprises several isolates from Japan and one single isolate from South Africa. This finding raises questions about the true diversity likely hidden in the K. thyrsites complex.publishedVersio

Monitoring programme for veterinary control on seafood products imported to Norway from third countries - Results from 2021

This report summarises results from the ongoing monitoring programme for veterinary border control on seafood products imported to Norway from countries outside the EU and the European Economic Area in 2021.Monitoring programme for veterinary control on seafood products imported to Norway from third countries - Results from 2021publishedVersio

Nasjonalt tilsynsprogram for produksjon av skjell og andre bløtdyr – prøver analysert i 2021 for kjemiske forurensende stoffer og mikroorganismer

I den mikrobiologiske delen av tilsynsprogrammet for skjell, tok Mattilsynet i 2021 ut i alt 227 prøver fordelt gjennom året. Av disse var 160 blåskjell (Mytilus edulis), 21 kamskjell (Pecten maximus), 25 flatøsters (Ostrea edulis), åtte stillehavsøsters (Crassostrea gigas), en av hjerteskjell (Cardiidae sp.), fem av teppeskjell (Politapes rhomboides), to av kongsnegl (Buccinum undatum), to av oskjell (Modiolus modiolus), to av knivskjell (Ensis arcuatus) og en av Drøbak kråkebolle (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis). Prøvene ble sendt til Havforskningsinstituttet (HI) etter instruks utarbeidet av Mattilsynet. Ved HIs laboratorier ble antall E. coli bestemt ved en flerrørs fortynningsmetodikk (MPN) i henhold til EUs referansemetode (Donovans metode, ISO 16649-3) og undersøkt med hensyn på forekomst av Salmonella ved hjelp av ISO 6579-1:2017 metoden.Nasjonalt tilsynsprogram for produksjon av skjell og andre bløtdyr – prøver analysert i 2021 for kjemiske forurensende stoffer og mikroorganismerpublishedVersio