European Food Safety Alerts for Shark Products

Helmut Nickel, Shark Year Magazine,

30. September 2013

EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed Notifications concerning shark products from 23. February 2012 to 11. September 2013

Thirty-four food safety notifications regarding shark products have been issued by member countries of the European Union since February 2012. Earlier notifications can be viewed in our previous post from 31. January 2012 EU Food Alert – Mercury in Fish.

The clear majority of the food safety alerts was made by Italy with 21 notifications.

In ca. 47 percent of the 34 cases, the shark products were supplied by Spain.

About 70 percent of the notifications concerns not tolerable mercury concentrations measured in products of only two pelagic shark species ( blue and mako shark ). The highest mercury level was recorded in a sample of frozen shortfin mako from Spain ( with 8.61 mg/kg – ppm, Notification Date: 02. October 2012 ). In the European Union, the maximum mercury level allowable in muscle meat of all shark species is 1.0 mg/kg wet weight.

Spiny dogfish imports from sustainable fisheries in the United States caused food safety alerts and border rejections in Germany, France and Italy. These products showed an industrial contamination with non-dioxin-like and dioxin-like Polychlorobiphenyl (PCB). In late August 2013, German authorities denied the import of over 18 tons of frozen spiny dogfish. Just a few weeks earlier, about 740 kg of US spiny dogfish had been withdrawn from the market in Italy.

Another noteworthy case was reported from Italy in November 2012:

A Chinese delivery of frozen shark fillets had the scientific name ‘Carchrocles megalodon’ on its label. This is obviously a slight misspelling of Carcharocles megalodon, the Megalodon, which is an extinct species of shark that lived millions of years ago. Italian customs authorities rejected the import and the whole consignment of 1.200 kg shark meat was destroyed.

Related tables and all notification-details are listed below.

For comparison reasons, there is also a table with the numbers of EU Food Safety Notifications regarding mercury concentrations above legal limits in bony fish species (e.g. swordfish and tuna ).

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Notification Details (only shark products) in descending chronological order

Notification date: 11. September 2013

Notification from: GREECE

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: China

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.3 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: Import not authorised

Distribution status:

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Notification date: 21. August 2013

Notification from: GERMANY

Product: chilled spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Amount: 18.597 kg

Origin: USA

Hazard: dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (industrial contaminants)

Analytical Result: not reported

Action taken: border rejection

Distribution status: product not placed on the market

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Notification date: 19. August 2013

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen shortfin mako ( Isurus oxyrinchus )

Amount: 5.459 kg

Origin: Japan ( via Spain )

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 5.6 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: information on distribution not (yet) available

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Notification date: 09. August 2013

Notification from: ITALY

Product: chilled shortfin mako ( Isurus oxyrinchus ).

Amount: 600 kg

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.15 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken:

Distribution status: distribution restricted to notifying country

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Notification date: 02. August 2013

Notification from: ITALY

Product: chilled spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Amount: 740 kg

Origin: USA

Hazard: non-dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (industrial contaminants)

Analytical Result: 152 ng/kg – ppt

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: restricted to Italy

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Notification date: 18. July 2013

Notification from: GREECE

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 2.6 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: no distribution from notifying country

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Notification date: 24. June 2013

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca ).

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.3 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: information on distribution not (yet) available

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Notification date: 19. June 2013

Notification from: ITALY

Product: spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Origin: USA

Hazard: non-dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (industrial contaminants)

Analytical Result: 113 µg/kg – ppb

Action taken:

Distribution status: restricted to Italy

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Notification date: 14. June 2013

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen mako shark ( Isurus oxyrinchus )

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 2.4 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: distribution restricted to notifying country

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Notification date: 24. May 2013

Notification from: FRANCE

Product: chilled spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Origin: USA

Hazard: non-dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (industrial contaminants)

Analytical Result: 113501 pg WHO TEQ/g

Action taken: informing authorities

Distribution status: distributed to France, Italy.

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Notification date: 14. May 2013

Notification from: SLOVENIA

Product: frozen fillets, blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: Spain (packaged in Slovenia)

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.6 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: informing recipients

Distribution status: distribution restricted to notifying country

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Notification date: 18. March 2013

Notification from: POLAND

Product: frozen blue shark steaks (Prionace glauca)

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 3.33 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: distribution restricted to notifying country

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Notification date: 01. March 2013

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: Portugal

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.25 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: distribution restricted to notifying country

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Notification date: 01. February 2013

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen shortfin mako shark ( Isurus oxyrinchus )

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 3.5 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: informing authorities

Distribution status: product already consumed

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Notification date: 15. January 2013

Notification from: ESTONIA

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: Vietnam

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.35 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: official detention

Distribution status: distribution restricted to notifying country

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Notification date: 27. November 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen shark fillets, Megalodon shark ( Carcharocles megalodon )

Amount: 1.200 kg

Origin: China

Subject: incorrect labelling ( species mentioned on the label is extinct for millions of years )

Action taken: destruction

Distribution status: no distribution

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Notification date: 02. October 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen slices of shortfin mako ( Isurus oxyrinchus )

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 8.61 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken:

Distribution status: distribution restricted to notifying country

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Notification date: 18. September 2012

Notification from: UNITED KINGDOM

Product: frozen milk shark ( Rhizoprionodon acutus )

Origin: Yemen

Hazard: Cadmium

Analytical Result: 0.76 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: official detention

Distribution status: distribution to UK and France.

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Notification date: 08. August 2012

Notification from: UNITED KINGDOM

Product: frozen ‘ baby shark ‘ ( presumably milk shark, Rhizoprionodon acutus )

Origin: Yemen

Hazard: Cadmium

Analytical Result: 0.67 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: –

Distribution status: no distribution.

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Notification date: 07. August 2012

Notification from: GERMANY

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: Vietnam

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.58 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: re-dispatch

Distribution status: no distribution.

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Notification date: 13. July 2012

Notification from: MALTA

Product: fresh dogfish

Origin: Malta

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 2.1 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken:

Distribution status: restricted to Malta

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Notification date: 11. July 2012

Notification from: GERMANY

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: Vietnam

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.4 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: re-dispatch

Distribution status: no distribution

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Notification date: 26. June 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen slices of shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus)

Origin: Singapore

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 5.47 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: distribution restricted to notifying country

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Notification date: 14. June 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: Vietnam

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.3 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: informing authorities

Distribution status: no distribution.

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Notification date: 28. May 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: Spain ( manufactured in Italy ).

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.89 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: distributed to France and Italy.

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Notification date: 21. May 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen shortfin mako shark ( Isurus oxyrinchus ).

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.15 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: destruction

Distribution status: information on distribution not (yet) available

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Notification date: 14. May 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: chilled mako shark ( Isurus oxyrinchus ).

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 2.6 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: no action taken

Distribution status: no stock left

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Notification date: 24. April 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: chilled small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula)

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 2.3 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: product past use-by date

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Notification date: 21. March 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen shortfin mako ( Isurus oxyrinchus ).

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.2 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: withdrawal from the market

Distribution status: information on distribution not (yet) available

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Notification date: 16. March 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: frozen blue shark ( Prionace glauca )

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.389 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: official detention

Distribution status: information on distribution not (yet) available

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Notification date: 16. March 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: chilled small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula)

Origin: Croatia

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.903 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: Import not authorised

Distribution status: no distribution.

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Notification date: 09. March 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: defrosted mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 3.7 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: no action taken

Distribution status: product already consumed

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Notification date: 02. March 2012

Notification from: ITALY

Product: defrosted mako shark ( Isurus oxyrinchus ).

Origin: Spain

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 3.5 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: no action taken

Distribution status: product already consumed

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Notification date: 23. February 2012

Notification from: FRANCE

Product: frozen blue shark steaks ( Prionace glauca ).

Origin: Ecuador

Hazard: Mercury

Analytical Result: 1.159 mg/kg – ppm

Action taken: destruction

Distribution status: distribution restricted to notifying country

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