Science, food safety regulations and European shellfish cultivation

摘要

Across Europe, shellfish farms are generally located in relatively unpolluted waters in peripheral regions, far from the madding crowds and their inevitable discharges to the environment. And across the European Union the shellfish cultivation sector promotes its natural, "organic" products as cultured in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. Yet, in recent years not only has the sector felt that it has been subject to excessive hygiene regulations, but consumers have been bombarded with images of a food product that is indistinguishable from the more intensively farmed species such as poultry, cattle, sheep, and salmon. Underlying this dichotomy and giving legitimacy to "food scare" stories is the body of science that identifies valid food safety concerns but fails to adequately define the risk factors involved and in effect contributes to the current climate of food hysteria.