Directorate-General for

Health & Consumers

Monitoring fish and fishery products Pacific region

Findings of import controls Frans Verstraete

OUTLINE PRESENTATION Measures provided for in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 961/2011 repealing Regulation (EU) No 297/2011Recommendation on the monitoring of fish and fishery products from the Pacific regionMonitoring results

Regulation No 961/2011The measures require that all feed and food originated in or consigned from 12 prefectures in Japan are tested for the presence of radionuclides (Iodine-131, Caesium-134 and Caesium-137), and attested not to contain unacceptable levels of these radionuclides. The 12 prefectures include 9 prefectures (Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka and Saitama) where food has been found to be contaminated at high levels and 3 prefectures of the initial bufferzone (Yamanashi, Nagano and Miyagi). In the last prefecture also beef was found to be contaminated at several occasions.

Regulation No 961/2011The requirement for analysis is limited to iodine and caesium, as there is not any evidence of contamination by other radionuclides (like Strontium, Plutonium). (In addition the analysis for iodine and caesium is a quick analysis) Food and feed originating from Japan, but not from these 12 prefectures, only have to be attested not to be originating from these 12 prefectures. At import, at least 10 % of the consignments from the 12 prefectures have to be analysed and at least 20 % of those originating from other prefectures than these 12. The consignments can be blocked for a maximum of 5 working days.

Regulation No 961/2011The levels applied at EU level were initially the pre-established EU-levels applicable in case of a new nuclear incident, and cover all radionuclides, but the levels applicable on feed and food imported from Japan have been aligned on a provisional basis to the action levels in JapanMember States have to report the results of their controls through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) and the European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange system (ECURIE).

Monitoring - RASFF notification 11-653-add11–dd 16/04/2011

The European Commission recommends the Member States to monitor on an at random basis for the presence of Iodine-131, Caesium-134 and Caesium-137 the following feed and food products (in order of importance) :

fish, fishery products and other marine products caught in FAO Major Fishing Area 61 and derived/processed products thereof fish, fishery products and other marine products caught in FAO Major Fishing Areas 67, 71 and 77 and derived/processed products thereoffeed and food, processed from fish and fishery products or containing fish and fishery products, (possibly) originating in/caught in the Pacific region

Monitoring recommendation

Monitoring recommendation RASFF message 27/04/2011

Preliminary risk assessment on the possible contamination by radionuclides of fish and fishery products in the Pacific region following the accident at Fukushima nuclear power plant. The assessment has been performed by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.This assessment has to be seen in relation with the recommendation on the monitoring of the presence of I-131, Cs-134 and CS-137 in fish and fishery products (and derived/processed products) originating in/caught in certain fishing areas of the Pacific region.Following the conclusions of this preliminary assessment the monitoring should focus by preference on pelagic fish species in FAO Fishing zone 61 (e.g. mackerel, anchovy, sardines, tuna, …) in particular the albacore tuna.

Monitoring results (until 16/09)

Reported in the periodFeed and food

orignating from Japan

Fish from the Pacific region (other than from

Japan) significant findings (i.e. > 10 Bq) I-131 Cs-134 Cs-137

01/04/2011 and 08/04/2011 40 0 ---

09/04/2011 and 19/04/2011 31 0 ---

20/04/2011 and 02/05/2011 23 4 ---

03/05/2011 and 09/05/2011 13 9 ---

10/05/2011 and 15/05/2011 28 21 ---

16/05/2011 and 24/05/2011 42 30 ---

25/05/2011 and 08/06/2011 38 33 ---

Monitoring results (until 16/09)Reported in the period

Feed and food orignating from

Japan

Fish from the Pacific region (other than

from Japan) significant findings (i.e. > 10 Bq) I-131Cs-134

Cs-137

             

09/06/2011 and 02/07/2011

155 83 3 samples green tea from Shizuoka <2 485 553

        <4 466 527

        <1 94 108

03/07/2011 and 31/07/2011

101 48 ---  

01/08/2011 and 02/09/2011

331 65 5 samples green tea from Shizuoka <10 30 35

        <3 197 242

        <2 99 118

        <2 58 73

        <2 93 113

03/09/2011 and 16/09/2011

107 20 ---  

             

TOTAL 694 2168 samples green tea from

Shizuoka