Biotoxin monitoring programmes
Legal controls of marine biotoxins in shellfish are prescribed
by European food safety legislation. This legislation requires all
EU member states to have in place an "official control" monitoring
system that ensures there are checks for the presence of marine
biotoxins in shellfish production and re-laying areas and in
products placed on the market. There is also a requirement for the
monitoring of toxin-producing phytoplankton in production and
re-laying areas.
The competent authority is required to take action to close
production or relaying areas, and to prevent harvesting or the sale
of products found to contain levels of biotoxins above the
prescribed EU limits.
Under EU legislation the competent authority has the statutory
responsibility for ensuring the delivery of an effective official
control programme. Aspects of these routine official control
monitoring programmes are delivered by us, on behalf of national
competent authorities.
Our Harmful Algal Blooms in Shellfish (HABS) team, based at
our Weymouth laboratory, currently provides official control
monitoring services to the Food Standards Agency (in England, Wales
and Scotland), as well as to the Isle of Man and State of Jersey
governments.
Under the scope of these programmes, the HABS team monitors
all active classified shellfish production and relaying areas
- with over 100 shellfish samples analysed weekly.
Our Phytoplankton Ecology team, based at our Lowestoft
laboratory, analyse 100 water samples monthly.
Our ISO 17025:2005 accredited testing methods are those
prescribed by the EU legislation and (where relevant) the
UK National Reference Laboratory for marine
biotoxins.
The HABS team provides:
- advice to competent authorities on the implementation and
design of the statutory monitoring programme
- liaises with local sampling officers and environmental health
officers from local food safety authorities (LAs) to co-ordinate
the collection of shellfish and water samples
- provides advice and training to LAs
- helps the FSA to communicate the role and benefit of the
shellfish-monitoring programme to various stakeholders through
seminars, roadshows and presentations.
The results of the FSA
biotoxin monitoring programmes are published weekly by the FSA, and
compiled in annual reports and summaries published in Shellfish
News.
Annual reports, by location
England and Wales
Scotland
Sampling protocols and forms
Sampling protocols
Collection of shellfish:
Other protocols:
Sample submission forms
Shellfish
Water
Relevant publications
- Higman, W A et al. 2009. Overview of developments of
the algal biotoxin monitoring programme in England, Scotland and
Wales. In Proceedings of the 6th ICMSS Conference,
March 2007. Blenheim, New Zealand. 41-45.
- Algoet, M et al. 2008. Recent developments in UK
shellfish biotoxin monitoring. In McMahon T, Deegan, B, Silke, J, O
Cinneide, M (eds), Proceedings of the 8th Irish Shellfish
Safety Workshop. Ireland: Marine Institute. 44-50.