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Food Safety Agency seeks to avert mussel scare

The Federal Food Safety Agency (FAVV) has issued a reassurance in the light of the Dutch authority’s decision to ban the sale of oysters and mussels caught in parts of the Eastern Scheldt estuary in the province of Zeeland. In a statement issued on Sunday FAVV writes “The Dutch have reacted correctly by banning the sale of mussels and oysters caught in part of the Eastern Scheldt”.
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The Dutch ban came after the neurotoxin tetrodotoxine (TTX) was found in some of the mussels and oysters caught in the estuary.

However, as the Zeeland mussel seasons doesn’t start until Wednesday, the mussels and oysters currently available in our shops were caught elsewhere and as such are perfectly safe FAVV’s Lieve Busschots told VRT News.

Earlier, the Dutch Food and Wares Authority (NVWA) announced that toxins had been found in some oysters and mussels. After consultations with the Dutch Health Department it was decided that they should not be made available for sale.

By banned the sale of the mussels and oysters straight away, the Dutch authorities have prevented them from entering the food chain.
“This is a normal reaction on the part of the Dutch. Their tests discovered that there might be toxins present. Based on this they decided to not allow these mussels to be sold. Belgium would have done just the same”, Lieve Busschots.

 

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