A report has been published from Matís ohf. which is called Undesirable substances in seafood products - results from the Icelandic marine monitoring activities in the year 2010.
The report shows the results of measurements of the amount of undesirable substances, organic and inorganic, in Icelandic seafood in 2010 and is part of a continuous monitoring project funded by the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture and has been ongoing since 2003. In 2010, the following substances were measured in marine products. intended for human consumption as well as products for the fishmeal and flour industries: dioxin, dioxin-like PCBs and pointer PCBs, flame retardants (PBDEs), metals and 12 different types of pesticides (insects and plant toxins). A special effort was made in measurements of flame retardants (PBDE) and metals in 2010 and their concentration was generally low in Icelandic seafood. As in previous years of monitoring, a small amount of undesirable substances in Icelandic seafood was generally measured in 2010 compared to the maximums recognized by European countries. Oil and flour made from blue whiting, however, need to be close to or exceed the permissible limits for certain substances.
The data collected year after year in this project is used to build an increasingly accurate database on the state of Icelandic marine products with regard to pollutants. The report is in English and is available on Matís' website (here) so that it is useful to producers, exporters, the government and others in promoting the safety and wholesomeness of Icelandic fish products.
The results of measurements of fishmeal and fish oil for feed preparation confirm the need to closely monitor the levels of undesirable substances, not least persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins, PCBs and pesticides in these products in the spring. The concentration of the persistent substances depends on the nutritional status of the pelagic fish stocks from which the products are processed and reaches its peak during the spawning season. In addition, the levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs as well as individual pesticides stop exceeding the EU's permissible limits. This is especially true for blue whiting products.
The brochure has also recently been published.Valuable facts about Icelandic seafood” where important information from this monitoring project has been compiled in the 10 most valuable fish species that Icelanders catch. The authors of the report are Vordís Baldursdóttir, Natasa Desnica, Þuríður Ragnarsdóttir and Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir. The project manager is Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir.