Fish contamination: Analysis of the EU RASFF notifications over the last 23 years

Abstract

The EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) plays a vital role in protecting consumer health by enabling immediate action to be taken to eliminate hazardous products. This study analysed RASFF notifications from 2000 to 2022 to identify the most frequently reported fish products, their origin countries and associated hazards, as well as the resulting notification classification and actions. Of the 6808 notifications for fish and fish products, Spain was the most notified origin country (14.66%), followed by Vietnam (7.70%), Morocco (5.35%), China (4.48%), and Indonesia (4.02%). Out of a total of 3344 notifications, the most frequently notified fish products were tuna (16.66%), followed by swordfish (15.98%), salmon (8.23%), mackerel (4.48%), and sharks (3.77%). The top hazard categories for fish were heavy metals (26.34%), pathogenic microorganisms (15.42%), poor or insufficient controls (11.46%), parasitic infestation (10.87%), biological contaminants (10.43%), veterinary drug residues (5.17%), and composition (3.44%). The study also revealed that 27% of the fish notifications were classified as serious, whereas alerts and border rejections represented 28.7% and 25.6%, respectively. For tuna, swordfish, salmon, and mackerel, about 37.57%, 85.75%, 75.54%, and 50.49% of all notifications were related to histamine, mercury, Listeria monocytogenes, and Anisakis, respectively. The study's findings can be used to identify the most problematic hazards in each product to safeguard consumer health.