Update on an incident involving Scottish salmon (excluding organic salmon) due to potential risk of taint

Friday 15 February 2008

Food Alert: for Information

Ref: 05/2008 (Update 1)

Update to the Food Alert for Information issued on 13 February 2008 concerning a recall of all Morrisons Fresh Scottish Salmon (excluding Organic Salmon), due to a potential risk of a white spirit taint, resulting in an unpleasant taste.

The Agency has been informed that several other products/brands could potentially be affected and, as a precautionary measure, have been withdrawn from sale. The potentially affected salmon has been supplied by Marine Harvest to Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc and Young's Seafood Ltd. Young's Seafood Ltd, who produce their own-brand products as well as those for other retailers, have supplied products to the retailers listed below.

Marine Harvest is currently investigating the cause of the taint. At present, they believe that the source of the contamination is diesel but have not identified the precise source of contamination.

Based on the information received by the Agency, the chemicals implicated in the problem are present at low levels which are very unlikely to be a risk to health.

The retailers implicated are:

• Asda
• Booths Supermarkets
• Budgens
• J Sainsbury plc
• Nisa-Today’s
• ShopRite Supermarkets
• Somerfield
• Tesco
• The Co-operative
• Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc

A list of all the withdrawn products can be found in Annex A of this Food Alert at the link below.

No other retailer brands or Young's Seafood Ltd products are known to be affected.