Seafood Safety

It's important to us because it's important to you

As the second largest seafood exporter in the world, we have a duty of care to all of our consumers. And that’s a responsibility we take very seriously indeed.

We understand that there is a growing concern about food safety on a global scale, so we seek to reassure our consumers through our diligent approach to process and our openness on the subject.

The Norwegian system adheres to international standards, but we also have our own stringent national system, through which we monitor every aspect of our food chain.

Accountability

Norway works closely with EU Food Law and our country was one of the first to introduce a traceability system for fish. Through this system, we’re able to say exactly where your mackerel was caught.

At a national level, the Ministry for Trade, Industry and Fisheries is responsible for everything from Norway’s sea transport infrastructure to the health and welfare of our fish.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority councils the Ministry and is concerned with seafood safety. Together, these two bodies help to ensure that Norway’s seafood is safe to eat and that our seas continue to function as a healthy home for fish.

As a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), we are obliged to follow EU regulation when it comes to food production and safety.

Norway's commitment

Seafood is our biggest export after oil, so it's extremely important for our economy that we continue to meet, if not exceed, international demands for quality and safety. By ensuring that everyone works together at every level of our food chain, we can protect the quality and safety of our produce. Working together ensures that Norwegian mackerel has a provenance you can trust.

Our system of surveillance requires each organisation – NIFES, NFSA, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Fishermen’s sales organizations, NSC and the IMR – to co-operate with one another to achieve our safety and quality goals.

By working together, we're able to analyse the entire production process – from fisherman to fork – to ensure food safety.

Legislation

The rules that ensure the quality and safety of our seafood can be found in the Norwegian Quality Regulation Act of 14 June 1996. This regulation formed the basis of the Norwegian Food Act of 2004.

Surveillance

Of course, there’s no point making rules if they aren’t implemented. The Norwegian Safety Authority has put in place a series of surveillance and monitoring programmes, which operate throughout the entire seafood production chain. You can find out more about our Managing and monitoring system on the dedicated page, but we’ve listed some of the key programmes below:

Dioxin and dioxin like PCBs in feedstuffs and foods (EU Recommendation 2004/704 and 2004/705)
Chemical and microbiological substances in processed seafood
Flame retardants and other new organic contaminants
Heavy metals and metal species (mercury, methyl mercury, arsenic and inorganic arsenic) in selected seafood

Collecting data

We began an extensive monitoring programme in 1994. Today, the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) is responsible for “Seafood Data”, a searchable database full of useful reports about seafood. This includes monitoring contaminants and heavy metals in fish and other seafood products. Samples are taken primarily from the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. Pelagic species are monitored every 3-5 years.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NORWAY'S QUALITY SEAFOOD

We pride ourselves on our quality and safety standards. Discover more about the steps being taken to ensure that Norwegian Mackerel remains a popular choice on the world’s menu.