Carcinus awarded new contract by the Food Standards Agency
Carcinus are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a new contract by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). This is an extension of an existing relationship that we have with the FSA to help them fulfil their obligations under retained EU Law Regulation (EU) 2019/627, which specifies the health conditions and market placing of live bivalve molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms and marine gastropods
For the past three years, Carcinus have assisted the FSA by undertaking an assessment of all new shellfish harvesting applications, evaluating sources and types of microbiological pollution that may affect the new harvesting area. You can see the last three eyars shellfish assessments here.
Our new relationship will see us continue to provide Sanitary Surveys for new bivalve mollusc harvesting areas and will also involve conducting reviews of existing production areas. These reviews will evaluate whether any changes have occurred in the harvesting area that require updating monitoring procedures. This new contract will run through to 2023 and we are excited to continue building on our already excellent partnership with the FSA.
“The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has contracted Carcinus to provide Sanitary Surveys for new shellfish harvesting areas as well as reviews on existing shellfish harvesting areas. As part of the contract Carcinus conducts a review of content and sampling plans in sanitary surveys as the sources of contamination in an area may change with time. This also involves liaising with local authorities to ensure sampling arrangements are workable.”
Rebecca Watts
Shellfish Official Controls advisor – Food Standards Agency
Find out more
If you would like to learn more about the FSA’s obligations under retained EU Law Regulation (EU) 2019/627, you can do so here. To find out more about the suite of marine and freshwater ecological surveys we can perform, please view our capability statements, or contact us.