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Source at https://vkm.no/download/18.2251cf2016368db15f982b15/1527073920923/Oppsummering%20fra%20VKMs%20vitenskapelige%20uttalelser%202016-2017%20Kunnskapsbehov%20av%20betydning%20for%20mattrygghet%20og%20besky. Målet med denne rapporten er å synliggjøre kunnskapsbehov som er viktige for å sikre trygg mat og beskyttelse av miljøet i årene som kommer, og forbedre den nasjonale kunnskapsbasen. Rapporten er den siste i en serie av rapporter om kunnskapsbehov publisert av Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM, tidligere Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet). Den løfter frem kunnskapsbehov som er identifisert i VKMs vitenskapelige uttalelser i perioden 2016 til 2017

Source at https://vkm.no/ The goal of this report is to highlight research needs and data gaps that are of future importance for food safety and protection of the environment and thereby improve the national knowledge-base. This report is the latest in a series of reports on research needs and data gaps published periodically by the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM), former Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM), and thus seeks to highlight research needs and data gaps identified in and related to VKMs scientific opinions for 2016 and 2017 only. Målet med denne rapporten er å synliggjøre kunnskapsbehov som er viktige for å sikre trygg mat og beskyttelse av miljøet i årene som kommer, og forbedre den nasjonale kunnskapsbasen. Rapporten er den siste i en serie av rapporter om kunnskapsbehov publisert av Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM, tidligere Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet). Den løfter frem kunnskapsbehov som er identifisert i VKMs vitenskapelige uttalelser i perioden 2016 til 2017.

Source at https://vkm.no/ Summary report from VKM’s scientific opinions for 2016 - 2017The goal of this report is to highlight research needs and data gaps that are of future importance for food safety and protection of the environment and thereby improve the national knowledge base. This report is the latest in a series of reports on research needs and data gaps published periodically by the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM), former Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM), and thus seeks to highlight research needs and data gaps identified in and related to VKMs scientific opinions for 2016 and 2017 only.

Since 1986, the management of radioactive contamination in food and feed in Norway has been driven mainly by the Chernobyl Disaster follow-up. Monitoring and countermeasures are still in place to reduce the exposure to the population. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is in the process of revising the maximum levels (MLs) for radioactive substances in drinking water and food and establishing new ones where necessary (including for feed). These MLs are to be applicable in the management of the normal situation, immediately subsequent to any accidents, and possibly in the long-term follow-up period after accidents. As part of this process, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority requested the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety to assess the risk that radioactivity in food and feed poses to human health. More specifically, VKM was requested to address the following questions in the Terms of Reference (ToR): ToR1: What is the current health risk from radioactivity in food –food gathering and hunting included – to the whole population and specific groups in Norway? ToR2: What health risk would the current levels of caesium-137 measured in live reindeer and sheep pose to the whole population and specific groups, if no efforts were made to reduce them? ToR3: What would be the implication to the health risk if the ML for reindeer meat was reduced from 3000 to 1500 or 600 Bq/kg, respectively – for the whole population and for specific groups? ToR4: Would the procedure and the maximum levels laid down in the Euratom Treaty regulation on radioactive contamination of foodstuffs and feedstuffs following a nuclear accident be appropriate for managing similar scenarios in Norway?

Related version: VKM Report 2016: 48 : https://vkm.no/download/18.7e19596115dabec04172717/1501849448865/30664700ba.pdf Målet med denne rapporten er å synliggjøre kunnskapsbehov som er viktige for å sikre trygg mat og opprettholdelse avbiologisk mangfold i årene som kommer.Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet (VKM) utarbeider og kommunisereruavhengige, vitenskapelige uttalelser, blant annet risikovurderinger og nytte-risikovurderinger. Hovedmålet til VKM er å sikre trygg mat og opprettholdelse av biologisk mangfold.

Source at https://vkm.no/ The aim of the present report is to highlight research needs and data gaps that are of future importance for food safety and protection of biodiversity. The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) produces and communicates scientific opinions, i.e. risk-and risk-benefitassessments, with the main goal of securing food safety and protection of biodiversity.Food safety is one of the prerequisites for good health, and is on the agenda both nationally and internationally. Since food production, food products on the market and dietary habits as well as the presence of potentialhazardsare constantly changing, there is a continuous need for new knowledge to ensure safe food Målet med denne rapporten er å synliggjøre kunnskapsbehov som er viktige for å sikre trygg mat og opprettholdelse avbiologisk mangfold i årene som kommer.Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet (VKM) utarbeider og kommunisereruavhengige, vitenskapelige uttalelser, blant annet risikovurderinger og nytte-risikovurderinger. Hovedmålet til VKM er å sikre trygg mat og opprettholdelse av biologisk mangfold.Trygg mat er en av forutsetningene for god helseog vies mye oppmerksomhetbåde nasjonalt og internasjonalt. Stadige endringer i hvordan maten produseres, hvilke matvarer som er tilgjengelige, hva befolkningen spiser og hvilke potensielle farer som følger med maten skaper et kontinuerlig behov for ny kunnskap for å sikre at maten er trygg.

Source at https://vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/assessmentofriskstoanimalhealthandbiodiversityfromimportandfarmingofaustralianredclawcrayfish.4.2375207615dac0245aee2789.html. Main message: It seems unlikely that the Australian red claw clayfish will establish reproductive populations under Norwegian climate conditions, but hitchhiker organisms and infectious agents could potentially follow the import, and unless managed, may pose risks to biodiversity and aquatic animal health. This is the conclusion in a risk assessment from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM).

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) asked the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet, VKM) for a risk assessment on turkey welfare. The VKM report will be used by NFSA in assessing the need for amending the existing regulations, competence requirements, and guidelines for surveillance and control related to keeping turkeys. Inspectors from NFSA have reported that there are serious animal welfare challenges in today’s turkey production, despite the fact that producers largely comply with the existing species-specific legislation for turkeys. Compared with the legislation on broilers, current legislation on turkeys is limited and has not been revised since 2001. VKM was asked to describe the physiological and behavioural needs of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in general, to assess welfare risks related to living area, animal densities, air quality, bedding, feeding and watering, and lighting regimes in turkeys kept for meat production. Description of risk-reduction measures was requested specifically with regards to living area, bedding, and feeding and watering. Relevant welfare indicators for turkeys were also to be described. Additionally, assessment of welfare risks related to semen collection (SC) and artificial insemination (AI) in parent stock were requested, together with a description of relevant risk-reduction measures. Organic production of turkey meat and the genetic constitution of the hybrids kept for meat production were not included in the request. Handling and transport of day old turkeys from hatchery to farm was excluded, as was handling related to transport and slaughter of turkeys kept for meat production. Welfare aspects of parent stock other than with respect to SC/AI were also excluded from the request. Nine detailed Terms of Reference were presented to VKM. VKM appointed a project group consisting of two external experts and two members of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare to answer the request. The Panel on Animal Health and Welfare has reviewed and revised the draft prepared by the project group and finally approved the risk assessment. In the risk assessment, the main physiological and behavioural needs of farmed turkeys are identified and described. Today’s Norwegian turkey production environment may present obstacles to the fulfilment of several of these needs, regardless of compliance with existing legislation. Wet bedding is a major hazard to turkey welfare and is a cause of foot pad lesions and other skin lesions. As these skin conditions are widespread in Norwegian turkey production, wet bedding seems to represent a high risk to turkey welfare. An important riskreduction measure would be to minimise the likelihood of the litter becoming wet, by preventing leakages from the drinking system, by ensuring good gut health, replacing wet litter, and by establishing optimal ventilation and heating. Additionally, several moderate welfare risks are identified, including low temperature for poults, inappropriate diet or poor quality of drinking water, failure of the drinking system, as well as too high or too low light intensities or inappropriate lighting regimes. Also, the incorrect use of recovery pens is considered to be a moderate welfare risk related to living area, which may be reduced by introducing appropriate management guidelines. Animal welfare risks of lesser significance are associated with high temperatures, and failure of the feeding system. In addition, several hazards for turkey welfare were identified and characterised. However, due to lack of data with regards to the exposure of Norwegian turkeys to and/or the welfare consequences of these hazards, they were not fit for a complete risk assessment. These hazards include lack of environmental enrichment, insufficient space for movement, resting, and avoidance, inappropriate stocking densities and different air quality parameters. It should be noted that the welfare hazards related to insufficient space are of increasing relevance with progressing age and size of the animals, and that hazard characterisation of different stocking densities would further be complicated by their interaction with other factors in the production unit. High levels of dust, ammonia, and other noxious gases are potential hazards for turkey welfare related to air quality, but sufficient data for risk characterisation lack. The “transect walk” method represents a promising method for systematic on-farm registration of welfare in turkey flocks. Foot pad lesions, breast skin lesions and air sacculitis are valid animal welfare indicators, that are feasible and appropriate for recording at the slaughterhouse. Implementing systematic recording of these indicators would assist in generating an evidence-based document of the turkey welfare situation. With regards to artificial insemination of parent stock, moderate welfare risks are associated with damage/haemorrhage inflicted by the AI procedure, as well as routine feed deprivation prior to AI. Haemorrhage caused by the SC procedure, as well as stress or injuries caused by herding/catching and handling the turkeys in connection with both SC and AI, are characterised as low welfare risks. To reduce the welfare risks when performing SC and AI, the knowledge and skills of the responsible workers are of key importance.

Related version: VKM Report 2016: 48 : https://vkm.no/download/18.7e19596115dabec04172717/1501849448865/30664700ba.pdf The aim of the present report is to highlight research needs and data gaps that are of future importance for food safety and protection of biodiversity. The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) produces and communicates scientific opinions, i.e. risk-and risk-benefitassessments, with the main goal of securing food safety and protection of biodiversity.

Source at https://vkm.no/ I denne rapporten oppsummerer VKM behov for forskning, kostholdsdata, kartlegging og overvåkning av norske forhold som vi mener er nødvendig for kunne gi solide og gode risikovurderinger som skal ivareta norske forbrukere og som har betydning for norsk matindustri og mateksport.

Report from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) 2014:15. Benefit-risk assessment of fish and fish products in the Norwegian diet – an update. Source at https://www.vkm.no/. In September 2013, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority requested VKM to update relevant parts of the benefit-risk assessment of fish in the Norwegian diet published by VKM in 2006. The background for the request was new knowledge and data on the content of some nutrients and contaminants both for wild and farmed fish since 2006. The proportion of vegetable ingredients used in farmed fish feed has in recent years increased, and new national dietary surveys for adults and children have been conducted. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority referred to VKM’s report from 2006, which pointed out that the positive impact of fish consumption on public health was especially due to the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D in fish. Further, VKM concluded that the contaminants that could pose a potential risk to public health through fish consumption mainly were methylmercury, dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs). The request included a reassessment of fish consumption in Norway with focus on specific nutrients; n-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), vitamin D, and the minerals iodine and selenium, and on specific contaminants; mercury, dioxins and dl-PCBs. VKM was asked to address the main changes in the use of raw materials in farmed fish feed and how these affect the levels of nutrients, mercury, dioxins and dl-PCBs and in fish feed. Further, VKM was asked to address to what extent levels of nutrients and contaminants in fish have changed since 2006, to describe these changes and estimate the human intake of the substances in question on the basis of recent dietary data. VKM was also requested to consider the benefits of eating fish with regard to the intake of nutrients and the risks associated with the intake of mercury, dioxins and dl-PCBs and comment on whether this change the conclusions from the report in 2006. Additionally, on the basis of updated knowledge, VKM was asked to comment whether other substances, like pesticide and residues of veterinary medicinal products, could affect the conclusions with regard to the impact on public health. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Directorate of Health will use the updated assessment as a basis for public recommendations concerning the consumption of fish and fish products.

Stiftelsen Rubin (senere GellyFeed AS) har siden 1991 jobbet med å utvikle fôr basert på avskjær fra villfisk til bruk i fôr til oppdrettsfisk. På grunn av fare for smitteoverføring, ble det utviklet et eget fôrkonsept GellyFeed, med et hygieniserende trinn (lutbehandling). GellyFeed AS har søkt Mattilsynet om godkjenning av GellyFeed metoden for behandling av slakteavfall fra laks som skal inngå i fôr til torsk. GellyFeed AS har som dokumentasjon på metoden vedlagt rapport fra Veterinærinstituttet fra forsøk der inaktivering av bakterier og virus ved høy pH er undersøkt. Mattilsynet ga VKM den 12.02.2008 i oppdrag å vurdere om vedlagte dokumentasjon av GellyFeed metoden er tilstrekkelig til å oppfylle kravene til metode gitt i Vedlegg 3 til forskrift 29. mars 2007 nr 511 om forbud mot bruk av animalske proteiner i fôr til produksjonsdyr. Mattilsynet ba VKM vurdere om følgende kombinasjoner av pH og holdetid i lutbehandlingstrinnet er tilstrekkelig til å oppfylle kravene i forskriften: 16 timer med pH på minimum 12 eller 48 timer med pH på minimum 11. Mattilsynet ba om at vurderingen omhandler biprodukter av laksefisk, det vil her si laks og regnbueørret. Vurderingen er blitt gjennomført av Faggruppen for fôr til terrestriske og akvatiske dyr (Faggruppe 6), og det ble nedsatt en ad hoc-gruppe til å arbeide med vurderingen. Konklusjonen av arbeidet er at behandling med pH 12 i 16 timer vurderes å tilfredsstille krav om minst 3 log reduksjon av A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida og IPN-virus, såfremt oppmalingsgraden er tilsvarende som i forsøkene som er beskrevet i rapporten fra Veterinærinstituttet (Husby 2003). Behandling med pH 12 i 16 timer vurderes også å inaktivere andre virus som anses å være aktuelle i norsk oppdrettsnæring, Behandling med pH 11 i 48 timer vurderes ikke å kunne garantere tilfredsstillende inaktivering av IPN-virus samt flere andre aktuelle virus.

The Agence française de sécurité sanitaire (Afssa) was asked by the Direction général de l’alimentation (DGAI) to comment on various proposals made by the CES ESST (expert committee on TSEs) in the EC TSE Roadmap. On January 24rd 2007, the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (Panel on Biological Hazards and Panel on Animal Health and Animal welfare) received a request from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority for comments on Afssa’s opinion. In response, an ad hoc Working Group of experts was appointed with the mandate to draft a note regarding this issue.

After the discovery of I. hoferi disease in Norwegian spring spawning herring in summer 1991, a program for systematic surveillance of the disease in the herring in Norwegian waters was developed. The programme, which aims primarily at monitoring the prevalence of the disease, is described. Macroscopic lesions in the heart emerged as the standard diagnostic criterium. The results so far indicate that the situation for Norwegian spring spawning herring is not alarming, altohough it still deserves attention. For the North Sea herring, the situation is less clear. The diseased herring seem to be less prone to follow normal scooling behavior, which causes sampling problems that must be taken into account when interpreting prevalence results.

Wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were captured in four rivers in western Norway in 1989 and 1990. These were used as broodstock fish in a sea ranching project. In 1989 virological and bacteriological examinations of the fish were negative for Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus, Renibacterium salmoniarum, Aeromonas salmonicida var. salmonicida and Yersinia ruckeri. In 1990 three fish were positive for IPNV and one fish was positive for Aeromonas salmonicida var. salmonicida. The results supply the mapping of the introduction of furunculosis at the Norwegian west coast in 1989-90, indicate a low prevalence of Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus in the wild salmon stocks and states that the broodstock fish used in the sea ranching project in 1989 and 1990 were tested in accordance with the demands for a satisfactory health control.

Arctic char of six different strains have been vaccinated against vibriosis and a relative protection (RPP) of 98% was demonstrated by waterborne challenge. This species is highly susceptible to vibriosis and the gross pathology is similar to vibriosis in rainbow trout. Sex maturation and genetics may have some impact on disease resistance.

Atlantic salmon smolts (Salmo salar) were vaccinated with a bacterin made from formalin-killed Vibrio salmonicida. In laboratory trials, fish vaccinated once showed little or no protection after challenge. Fish vaccinated twice appeared to be protected, the degree of protection depending on the administration route of the vaccine.