Project 3.2 REDRISK

Reduction of risk in shellfish harvesting areas

Partners:

3. Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), France; 21. Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture (CEFAS), UK; 44. University Santiago (USC), Spain; 60. Comité Nantional de la Conchyliculture (AEPM), Belgium.

 

Viral contamination of molluscan shellfish occurs at source in due to faecal contamination of shellfish harvesting areas. Current European control measures are inadequate and do not prevent virus contaminated shellfish reaching the consumer and causing associated illness.

 

The major objective associated with this project is

- To identify pollution sources and conditions responsible for microbial contamination in shellfisheries and to determine their impact on viral contamination in shellfisheries. This will provide a framework to allow the development of preventative strategy for reducing the virus risk associated with shellfish by using a risk management approach in shellfish harvesting areas based on HACCP principles. Such a preventative strategy will reduce the virus risk associated with the consumption of bivalve molluscan shellfish for the European consumer.

 

The research within the project is described in two major blocks of activities

 

Read about this and the other projects in RTD Pillar 3 Seafood Safety in the Eurofish magazine article 

 

Recognizing and controlling health risks of seafood consumption

 

Major research achievements

The major research achievements are described in the following subpages for each project year:

 

2004            2005           2006          2007        2008 

 

Projectleader REDRISK

Dr. Monique Pommepuy

IFREMER, France