Control of contaminants in fish
Various chemicals can be released into the environment, spread over long distances through air and water currents, and can be found in food harvested and caught far from the sources of pollution.
Environmental contaminants can include substances such as heavy metals, dioxins, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), etc.
Maximum limits have been established for certain environmental contaminants in food in Regulation (EU) 2023/915. For example, there are maximum limits on mercury, cadmium, dioxins, and 4 PFAS’es (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA og PFHxS), in fish. It is prohibited to sell fish which contain levels exceeding these maximum limits.
EEA obligations
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority conducts numerous analyses of environmental contaminants in fish as part of our annual control plans. In the EU, competent authorities are required to analyse contaminants in a variety of foods. Norway is subject to the same obligations, because of the EAA agreement.
For many years, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has controlled the content of environmental contaminants in farmed fish as it was covered by the control of veterinary drug residues (Directive 96/23/EC). In 2023, the control of contaminants and drug residues was split, and the control of contaminants is now regulated in Regulation (EU) 2022/931 and Regulation (EU) 2022/932. These regulations are incorporated into Norwegian regulations, (Forskrift om offentlig kontroll av forurensende stoffer i næringsmidler).
Analyses of contaminants in farmed fish must be conducted according to specific sampling frequency, while the number of samples for wild caught fish is determined by the member states based on production and problems identified. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, for instance, analyses fish which are commercially fished extensively, fish species which can accumulate more contaminants, and fish species where there is a need for more knowledge on the occurrence of certain contaminants.
The control plans must be submitted to the European Commission for evaluation. The results of all analyses must be sent to the EU's food safety authority (EFSA) the following year.
Results
The analysis results show that the levels of environmental contaminants in farmed fish are well below the limit values. It is the feed that affects the content in farmed fish, and the content of environmental contaminants in feed is strictly regulated. Reports from these annual analyses can be found here:
Medisinrester i oppdrettsfisk (Norwegian language)
The content of environmental contaminants in wild caught fish is generally low and below the limit values, but the content may vary depending on where the fish is caught, the species, and the age/size of the fish. Wild caught fish are included in the control plans for the first time in 2024, and a report will be published in 2025. However, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has conducted some analyses to enhance our knowledge on occurrence of environmental contaminants in wild caught fish. Reports can be found here:
Fremmedstoffer i villfisk 2023 (Norwegian language)
Miljøgifter i fisk 2019: Atlantisk kveite langs kysten av Trøndelag og Nordland (Norwegian language)
Miljøgifter i villfisk – brosme, lange og bifangst (2013–2015) (Norwegian language)
The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research has created a database, where you can search for and compare the content of unwanted substances and nutrients in fish and other seafood.