Safety of Irish salmon must be defended

It was reassuring that Bord Iascaigh Mhara responded promptly to the alarming US reports that farmed salmon contained worryingly high toxin levels and posed a serious health threat to consumers.

While BIM is the State agency with responsibility for developing the sea fishing and aquaculture industries, it also has a responsibility to the consumer.

In attesting to the safety of Irish farmed salmon, the agency correctly pointed out that the American research findings, published in the journal Science, did not include the Irish product.

The findings were based on fish samples taken from other EU countries and North America but if they were allowed to go unchallenged and not clarified they could have done serious damage to the industry here.

In fact, according to a BIM spokesman the quality of Irish farmed salmon was recently emphasised by the chief food science specialist with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

One of the reasons why such an endorsement was given to farmed salmon produced here was because of the low dioxin level which persistent vigilance ensures.

Presumably, BIM also got this important message across to markets abroad where people might not too readily distinguish products from this country.

Consumers are vigilant and perceptive in regard to the safety and hygienic quality of food products.

Equally, those charged with the promotion of such products must be just as alert in defending domestic commodities in the face of potentially damaging research findings which can mislead the consumer.