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3rd January 2001
The health benefits of eating moderate amounts of fish, including salmon, as part of a healthy balanced diet outweigh any potential risk from dioxins and PCBs, the Food Standards Agency said today.
PCBs are man-made contaminants and dioxins are by-products of burning and some forms of manufacturing, which are widespread in the environment. The fact that they can be found in the food chain, including in oily fish is not new. The Food Standards Agency has carried out 21 surveys looking at this issue and published results on its website.
The best way to reduce dietary exposure to dioxins and PCBs is to reduce emissions to the environment. This is something the Agency is working closely with the Department of Environment Transport and the Regions to achieve. This is an ongoing, long-term project to which the Agency is very committed.
Surveys have shown that exposure to these contaminants from the diet has fallen by about 75% between 1982 and 1997.
The World Health Organisation and the EC Scientific Committee on Food have recently recommended lower weekly intakes of dioxins and PCBs in light of new findings. But the SCF has also emphasised that exceeding these new recommended levels does not necessarily result in an appreciable risk to health.
As with all recommended safety guidelines, there is a safety margin built in, therefore, exceeding levels results in erosion of this margin rather than a health risk.
In the summer, the Food Standards Agency asked a group of independent experts to review the UK safety guideline, taking into account the WHO and SCF findings as well as other scientific studies that have been completed since the UK safety guidelines were last reviewed in 1997. This review is due to be completed in the spring.
The Government's National Diet Survey has shown that the average adult oily fish consumer eats about one portion of oily fish per week (130g). This is in line with the Agency's recommendation that people should eat two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily, as part of a balanced diet.
At present, there is no reason to change that advice. However, the Agency is not complacent about this or any other food safety issue and will, in line with its policy on openness, inform the public if there is any reason to change dietary habits.
Room 6/21
Hannibal House
PO Box 30080
London SE1 6YA
Telephone: 020 7972 2444
Out of hours duty pager: 07669 074642
Fax: 020 7972 2340
Email: press.mailbox@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
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