EU review highlights gaps in seafood histamine controls

The European Union has released a comprehensive review of official monitoring practices for histamine in fishery products, highlighting a critical need for greater consistency across member states to ensure seafood safety.

Histamine toxicity, frequently referred to as scombroid poisoning, is a widespread foodborne illness triggered when fish is kept under inadequate refrigeration. When the cold chain fails during storage or handling, bacteria break down amino acids in the fish, creating dangerous levels of histamine that cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing. While cases are reported every year, strict hygiene and temperature management remain the primary line of defense.

According to the EU report, risk-based official controls are firmly established throughout the entire seafood supply chain, stretching from initial production through to transport, storage, and final distribution. These regulatory checks are backed by laboratory testing conducted in accredited, designated facilities. However, the findings reveal several vulnerabilities in how these rules are applied.

A primary concern raised in the report is the notable variation in enforcement. While most member states successfully deploy risk-based frameworks, the EU observed significant differences in staff training and procedural consistency from one country to another. Furthermore, food business operators are facing hurdles in meeting rigorous sampling and testing requirements. In some instances, national competent authorities have even permitted occasional deviations from standard EU requirements.

The report also pointed to a lack of uniformity in laboratory testing. While the EU grants businesses the flexibility to use alternative testing methods—provided they are validated against official reference methods or meet international standards—there are currently no uniform validation criteria across member states. This issue is compounded by the fact that there is no centralized EU Reference Laboratory for histamine. Instead, individual member states have had to establish their own National Reference Laboratories to try and harmonize testing protocols at a national level.

Moving forward, the EU intends to use these findings as a foundation for upcoming discussions. The goal is to determine how to tighten consistency and enforcement across all member states while still retaining the regulatory flexibility required for effective, everyday risk management in the seafood industry.

Source:

European Commission