Implications of the new food hygiene regulations for shellfish monitoring in Northern Ireland

Thursday 29 June 2006

The new Food Hygiene Regulations came into force on 11 January 2006, and are the result of an exercise by the European Commission to consolidate and simplify food hygiene legislation across all food sectors. These new regulations alter the requirements for the monitoring of the shellfish industry in Northern Ireland by the Food Standards Agency.

The new regulations specify that official controls on wild scallops harvested outside classified production areas are to be carried out in fish auctions, dispatch centres and processing establishments.

Therefore:

• FSANI will not be carrying out offshore monitoring for shellfish biotoxins and will not be operating the open and closed box system
• any existing FEPA Orders (in place as at 31st December 2005) will remain in force until such time as two successive sample results below the statutory limit enables the box to be re-opened. There will be no new box closures from this time
• any shucking advice in place will cease
• the biotoxin summary report will continue to be issued on a monthly basis