Marine biotoxins

Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) is National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for marine biotoxins and ensures the quality of these marine toxin analyses in shellfish.

Marine biotoxins in shellfish

Marine biotoxins are produced by algae and can accumulate in edible filter-feeding shellfish species such as mussels and oysters. Consumption of contaminated shellfish may lead to severe intoxications, including amnesia, paralysis, vomiting and diarrhoea. To ensure the food safety of edible shellfish species, maximum allowed toxin concentrations are defined in European and Dutch guidelines and shellfish from official production sites are regularly monitored.

In the Netherlands, the following toxins are regulated:

  • Domoic acid. This toxic's main mode of action is causing memory loss (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, ASP).
  • Saxitoxins. Toxins of this group cause, amongst other things, paralyses (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, PSP).
  • Okadaic acid and dinophysistoxins can cause diarrhoea (Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning, DSP).
  • Azaspiracids, which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.
  • Yessotoxins, which can cause heart defects in mice.
  • Tetrodotoxin (TTX), which, amongst other things, causes paralysis.

Dutch legislation applies to TTX (Beleidsregel Warenwet TTX in levende tweekleppige weekdieren 2022), dthe other toxins are regulated at European level (Regulation (EC) Nr. 853/2004 - Annex III, Section VII, Chapter V).

Reference laboratories

European legislation sets the requirements for the analytical methods used to determine the toxin concentrations in shellfish. The quality of these analyses within the EU is assured through a network of reference laboratories. This network consists of an EU-reference laboratory (EURL) currently located in Vigo, Spain, and of NRLs. Wageningen Food Safety Research is the NRL for The Netherlands and Northern Ireland.

Chemical detection methods and cell-based assays

At Wageningen Food Safety Research, we have extensive experience in analysing marine toxins in shellfish. We have set up the reference methods for the regulated toxins (Verordening (EU) 2019/627, Regulation (EG) No. 2021/1709) and we can detect a broad range of non-regulated toxins using chemical detection methods and cell-based assays.

Supplementary to method quality assurance, development and validation, the NRL also advises the competent authority, ensures a good performance of other national laboratories analysing official control samples, and participates in panels of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX) and The European Committee for Standardization (CEN).