Food Surveillance Information Sheet Number 54
A total of 345 samples of shellfish were collected from 8 sites along the
North East coast of England and 11 other sites from areas along the coast of
England and Wales and analysed for PSP toxins using a bioassay. The limit of
determination of this assay is 40µg saxitoxin equivalent/100g shellfish.
Table 2: Surveillance for PSP toxins in English and Welsh shellfish
collected between March and September 1994 |
Sample type
|
Number of samples
|
PSP toxin levels detected (µg/100g shellfish flesh) |
Number of samples in the range |
Maximum |
<40
|
40-80
|
>80
|
|
Mussels:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March
|
9
|
8
|
1
|
-
|
63
|
|
April
|
21
|
21
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
May
|
21
|
18
|
2
|
1
|
86
|
|
June
|
69
|
35
|
13
|
21
|
1796
|
|
July
|
49
|
49
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
August
|
39
|
39
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
September
|
26
|
26
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Total
|
234
|
196
|
16
|
22
|
1796
|
Cockles
|
11
|
11
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Oysters
|
9
|
9
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Edible crab
|
50
|
46
|
4
|
-
|
43
|
Winkle
|
22
|
19
|
3
|
-
|
64
|
Whelk
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Lobster (head)
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
90
|
Lobster (tail)
|
4
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Prawn (head)
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Prawn (tail)
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Table1
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These pages were last updated on 1 October 1996
