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The secretary Juan Maneiro defended the efficiency of the biotoxin controls performed in Galicia. (Photo: Xunta de Galicia)
Biotoxin control in Galicia ‘worked perfectly well’
SPAIN
Friday, May 24, 2013, 02:20 (GMT + 9)
The head of the General Secretariat of Marine Affairs of the Xunta de Galicia, Juan Maneiro, ensures that the biotoxin control system in the local mussel production worked perfectly well as to the case of the health alert from France, in April.
The report issued by this European country on the alleged presence of toxins in mussels from Galicia forced the administration of Galicia to request caution and to defend the smooth operation and speed of the biotoxin control system.
Health authorities in France at that time decided to ban the trade of the Galician mussel, after registering several cases of food poisoning in 36 consumers in the city of Marseille.
In the Galician Parliament, on Wednesday Maneiro stated the biotoxin control and traceability systems used in the community proved they are fully capable of meeting the objectives of food law.
Besides, he emphasized that the regional government is working to ensure that such situations do not occur in the future.
Moreover, he stressed the need for the food chain operators — mainly the destination firms – to have a self-control system adjusted according to the risks this type of products offer and a tracking system that makes it possible to define the scope of any problem that can occur.
What is sought is that the Galician product does not lose international reputation, as the Xunta expressed it.
Maneiro told the members of Parliament’s Fisheries Committee from Galicia that the French health authorities have not clarified whether the source of the gastroenteritis outbreak was caused by biotoxins or by any other reason.
Furthermore, he clarified that currently it is not possible to attribute the cause of the outbreak with minimal safety to the Galician mussel.
“Here there arise the possibility that the origin of the mussels was another one, that non-authorised mixtures may have occurred or even that the specimens may have been reintroduced in waters outside our region,” he explained.
It was on 29 April when France decided to lift the ban on Galician mussel trade, the newspaper La Voz de Galicia informed.
Meanwhile, in the rapid alert system of the European Union (EU) the French changed the origin of the poisoning outbreak, and indicated that it was caused by pathogenic microorganisms and not by biotoxins.
The Xunta de Galicia reported that there are two lines of research: one focusing on the Catalan cleansing firm and the other on the two French firms treating the product.
But Maneiro pointed out it is impossible to correctly follow the product tracking.
Related article:
– EU committee supports greater water protection for mollusc farming
– Galician government defends biotoxin control in mussels
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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