Wild caught scallop (Pectinidae) biotoxin monitoring within Isle of Man territorial waters
Marine biotoxins are poisons that are produced by certain kinds of phytoplankton, which are naturally present in marine waters, often in quantities that are too small to be harmful. However, a combination of warm temperatures, sunlight, and nutrient-rich waters can cause plankton to rapidly reproduce causing 'blooms'. These blooms are commonly referred to as harmful algal blooms or 'HABs' Live bivalve molluscs such as scallops consume the plankton which then has the potential to enter the food chain and cause illness. More information on the monitoring of HAB's can be found on the Isle of Man Marine Monitoring page.
The territorial waters of the Isle of Man are unclassified for the purpose of harvesting live bivalve molluscs. Under retained EU law Regulation (EC) 853/2004, scallops can be harvested from unclassified areas. Harvesting of wild scallops can be permitted if the controls in this regulation are followed and ensure that the end product is safe to eat.
The safety of scallops placed on the market for human consumption is the responsibility of the Food Business Operator and must be determined by carrying out routine sampling as part of your HACCP. A risk based approach to sampling for both environmental contaminates such as biotoxins, heavy metals, PAH's and microbiological contaminants such as Salmonella and E.coli must be included within your sampling plan. Limits for both categories can be found in Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 and Regulation (EC) 1881/2006.
We recommend you use all available current and historical data along with industry guidance when determining your sampling plan.
