Chapter 8 - Seafood

Abstract

Global total production of fish, mollusks and crustaceans has been continuously increasing from the beginning of the century, and at the same time, seafood is continuously being associated with a number of foodborne outbreaks. Food safety challenges differ by region, due to differences in income level, diets, local conditions, and government infrastructures. Important biological causative agents of seafood-borne illnesses in the last decade have been histamine, caliciviruses, marine biotoxins and Vibrio spp. The contamination of seafood by environmental and aquaculture chemicals has also been a public health concern. The hazards are differently assessed in the primary production (aquaculture) and in the seafood processing industry, where the level of risk additionally depends on a type of product. For protection of public health and ensuring safety of food entering the food chain, food safety principles should be efficiently applied by all parties in the food chain. Food safety regulation should be harmonized over the world with the aim of easier and undisrupted international trade of goods.