November 2011

Norovirus study

ASSG welcomes the work done in this study, which is an attempt to give all parties involved a better understanding of Norovirus. Consumer protection is the common goal of the participants in this project, which includes Food Standards Agency, Environmental Health, and Industry participants, who voluntarily provided the samples.

The study focuses on oysters, but it should be considered in context, as person to person transmission is by far the most common method of contracting Norovirus.

Industry members in Scotland have been using a method of testing which they believe has been proven to protect the consumer, in the absence of any EU or UK standards and methods. ASSG looks forward to working further with FSA(S) and SEPA, in an attempt to tackle the issues this report may highlight.

If we have standards set for levels in oysters, we must have equivalent standards in place for the waters in which they are grown, ensuring that the problem is dealt with ‘at source’, as is the policy of the European Food Standards Agency for infections attributed to food.

Walter Speirs, Chairman, ASSG