Despite a study in the UK confirming a build-up of the toxic pollutant dioxin in oily fish, and to a lesser extent in fish fingers, the British government has stood by its recommendation that adults should eat oily fish once a week because of its health benefits.
The tests, conducted jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Health, found levels of dioxin and polycholorinated biphenyls (PCBs) varied significantly in fish landed in Britain and in products such as fish fingers.
These levels could sometimes lead to adults marginally exceeding the tolerable daily intake for dioxin/PCBs recently proposed by the World Health Organisation.
In relation to children and toddlers, the British government's independent expert committee on toxicity of chemicals in food has concluded they may also exceed the WHO recommendation. However, the figures should be "viewed with caution" as children are more inclined to eat fish fingers, which were shown to have considerably less dioxin and PCBs.
Dioxins and PCBs are by-products of industrial processes, such as waste incineration. Long-term exposure to them can cause an excessive concentration in body tissue. They have been linked to cancer and damage to unborn children.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland said it would be examining the implications of the study on 132 samples of sea fish. It was not in a position to say what level of dioxin or PCBs might be occurring in Irish fish though it would like to be able to say definitively.
Following the Belgian dioxin crisis, the authority was in discussions at senior Government level with a view to establishing a dedicated laboratory facility to test for dioxins in food, said its spokeswoman, Ms Eilis O'Brien.
She said the British authorities had 30 years of research on dioxins in foods, with other studies indicating levels were decreasing. From a preliminary examination, the study suggested the dioxin/PCB level in fish fingers was minuscule in comparison to other samples of oily fish. Equally, the levels found might be a lot different from those in Irish fish, as fishing patterns and areas fished were likely to be different.
The British study concluded that fish with a high fat content were particularly susceptible to dioxin build-up. Non-migratory fish such as herring might be more exposed to localised contamination.
The British Ministry of Agriculture defended the decision to publish the study without an accompanying public health warning. A spokesman said: "The recommendation made to us was that because the levels of chemicals found were below those perceived to be dangerous, no warning was required."
--Additional reporting: PA
