FOOD www.food.gov.uk STANDARDS AGENCY SCOTLAND | Buidheann Inbhe-Bidhe an Alba 10 February 2004 Our Ref: SCO/4/CHEM/6 Your Ref: 020228 Dear Contaminants in Farmed Salmon Thank you for your letter of 15 January in which you raised the concerns of your constituent, in relation to the safety of Scottish farmed salmon. Fish is an excellent source of protein and it also contains essential vitamins and minerals. On the basis of expert scientific opinion, the Food Standards Agency advises all consumers, including pregnant women, to eat at least two portions of fish per week, one of which should be an oily fish such as salmon A portion of salmon is equivalent to approximately 100g (4oz). During pregnancy, women need to make sure that their diet is balanced and is providing them with enough energy and nutrients for the baby to grow and develop The recent American findings of levels of dioxins in salmon are in line with earlier work by the Food Standards Agency and are within up-to-date safety levels set by the World Health Organisation and the European Commission Dioxins and PCBs are persistent environmental contaminants and are generally present at low concentrations in many foods, especially fat- containing foods such as milk, meat, fish and eggs. The Agency does not consider that there is any need for consumers to change their dicts because the effects that dioxins may have on the most sensitive individuals are already taken into account when safety levels are calculated. Independent experts agree that the known health benefits from eating a portion of oily fish per week outweigh any possible risks loor, St Magnus House, 25 Guild Street, Aberdeen AB11 6NW 0 Fax 01224 285168concems regarding the consumption of fish during pregnancy may relate to advice issued by the Agency in May 2002 that, if a woman is pregnant, breastfeeding, or intending to become pregnant, she should avoid eating shark, swordfish and marlin because these types of fish have been shown to contain high levels of meroury. In February 2003 further scientific research prompted the Agency to extend its advice on mercury in fish and recommend that women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or intending to become pregnant should limit the amount of tuna they eat. More information on mercury in fish is available directly from the Agency or cn our web-site at: wun food.qov uk/news/oressreleases/iuna mercury In this instance specific advice to a particular group of consumers was considered appropriate because although the emount of mercury in food isn't harmful for most people, if a woman takes in high levels of mercury in the few months before and during pregnancy this can affect her baby's developing nervous system. The advice on mercury was specific to a limited number of fish which research had shown contained high levels of mercury. Fish with low levels of mercury, such as salmon, were not affected. A wide range of additional information about nutrition and food safety during pregnancy can be found on the Agency's web-site at: www.food.aov.uk | hope that this information has been helpful. If you require anything further please don’t hesitate to contact me. Yours sincerely, 6th Floor, St Magnus House, 25 Guild Stre Tel 01224 285100 Fax 01224 285168