Written question asked by Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 20 January 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 February 2005. It was answered by Melanie Johnson (Labour) on Wednesday, 2 February 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research he has conducted into the levels of (a) dioxins and (b) PCBs found in (i) wild salmon, (ii) farmed salmon and (iii) flame retardants; and what figures were produced by that research. - Inc table.

Answer: Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has conducted into the levels of (a) dioxins and (b) PCBs found in (i) wild salmon, (ii) farmed salmon and (iii) flame retardants; and what figures were produced by that research. [210976] Miss Melanie Johnson: I am informed by the Food Standards Agency that samples of salmon were included in a survey for dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in marine fish carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food during 1994-96 and a further study by the Food Standards Agency in 2003. The levels which were found are shown in the table. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Dioxins PCBs Total Survey Salmon type (number of nanograms World Health Organisation Toxic Equivalent/kilogram fresh weight samples) (1994-96) Farmed (3) 0.8-0.9 2.2-2.7 3.1-3.5 Wild (1) 0.9 1.3 2.2 Unspecified1 (8) 0.6-1.0 1.6-3.0 2.2-4.0 (2003) Farmed only (3) 0.5-0.8 1.5-2.0 2.0-2.8 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Five samples were labelled as "retail salmon" and three just as "salmon". We have not conducted a survey of flame-retardants, which, like dioxins and PCBs, are environmental contaminants, in salmon, although a survey is currently looking at dioxins, PCBs and brominated flame- retardants in farmed and wild fish and shellfish.

Secondary information