§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what scientific evidence the UK Government has collated to suggest that amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops represents a threat to human health. [94154]
§ Ms BlearsThere have been no recorded instances of amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) in humans in the United Kingdom due to the consumption of scallops. However, ASP is a recognised neurotoxin, which has caused severe illness and even death in other countries through consumption of shellfish and is therefore a serious threat to human health.
§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the European Commission intends to respond to the appeal from the Food Standards Agency for a review of the current internationally accepted action level of 20 mg/kg in scallops; and what scientific evidence the Commission has collated to suggest that amnesic shellfish poisoning represents a threat to human health. [94155]
§ Ms BlearsThe Food Standards Agency wrote to the European Commission on the question of the action level, seeking their views on how further research may be taken forward. The Commission has acknowledged receipt of a project proposal for the assessment of scallop portion size as a contribution to the assessment of the risk to consumer health. This proposal will be evaluated and, if considered valid, submitted to the Commission's Scientific Committee for Scrutiny.
The current European Union controls are based on evidence drawn from an incident in Canada which resulted in cases of severe illness and several deaths. Details of this or any ongoing research can be obtained from the Commission's Directorate General SANCO.