Safety advice on seafood toxins
Seafood is generally safe, especially because the environmental contaminants known to be harmful at certain levels are routinely monitored in Europe. However, certain other contaminants have no maximum permitted levels and are neither regulated nor monitored. The EU-funded ECSAFESEAFOOD (Priority environmental contaminants in seafood: Safety assessment, impact and public perception) project assessed the healthy and safety risks of such contaminants. Types included algal toxins, marine litter, and associated chemicals, hormone disruptors, heavy metals, brominated flame retardants, drug metabolites and personal care products. Researchers created a free online database containing information about suspect contaminants. A further online consumer tool, called FishChoice, helps users balance the risks and benefits of seafood consumption, and provides advice about healthy seafood choices. Investigators developed new methods for assessing contaminants in seafood, about which the team prepared in-house reference materials. Using the methods, the team monitored the presence of marine toxins, microplastics and concentrations of chemicals of concern in commercial seafood species available in Europe. The study integrated the effects on chemical concentration of place of origin, season and cooking. Other studied effects included acute and sub-acute consequences of contaminants assessed through bioaccessibility and bioavailability in raw and processed seafood. The study detailed the movement and accumulation of toxins from feed to fish, crabs and bivalves. Researchers established a lowest-observed adverse effect level for ciguatoxins in an outbreak of ciguatera fish poisoning, and determined the areas of ciguatera risk. Results indicated that the only seafood contaminants requiring revision of exposure assessment are methylmercury and brominated flame retardant. The team also identified the most appropriate strategies for reducing seafood contaminants, which included validating use of microalgae as a candidate method. Consortium members detailed seafood consumption patterns, risk perception and consumer information needs, plus the potential impact of messages targeted at the public. The team further prepared three guides – for consumers, the seafood industry and policymakers – documenting chemical contaminants. The work will increase consumer confidence in seafood consumption, bringing consequent positive economic benefits.
Keywords
Seafood, environmental contaminants, ECSAFESEAFOOD, safety assessment
