§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what tests are currently carried out on farmed Scottish salmon for traces of ivermectin; and what proportion of fish revealed traces in the most recent tests. [17830]
§ Mr. Raymond S. Robertson[holding answer 27 February 1997]: The Veterinary Medicines Directorate undertakes surveillance for the presence of residues of veterinary medicines in fish as part of a 582W programme to monitor whether residues of these substances are passing into food for human consumption in unacceptable concentrations. In the case of salmon, samples of farmed salmon, including Scottish salmon, are purchased from randomly selected retail outlets throughout the United Kingdom. The 1996 programme of analyses has yet to be completed and reported, but the most recent data show that no residues of ivermectin were determined in any of the 275 samples of salmon analysed to date.