Food safety

The seafood industry is committed to the highest level of food safety.

Seafood is a safe, healthy food which forms an important part of the national diet. It's a delicious, natural, versatile food and it's good for you.

Several EU regulations cover hygiene and food safety.

In the UK central and local government bodies share the responsibility for enforcing regulations on food standards: central government makes the legislation and, in general, local authorities enforce it through Environmental Health Officers and Trading Standards Officers.

Defra, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the United Kingdom, also has two executive agencies - the Pesticides Safety Directorate and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate - which carry out EU surveillance programmes for residues, and also act as the enforcement agencies for these areas.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), an independent food safety watchdog, is responsible for enforcing and monitoring food safety regulations to ensure that the products that reach the consumers are safe to eat. The FSA monitors shellfisheries in a series of geographical boxes. If there is a concern within one of those boxes the agency closes that whole area to fishing for shellfish.

For more information on food safety regulation visit the Food Standards Agency website at www.food.gov.uk

Case study: Seafish liaison influences Animal By-Products Regulation on parasites