Fwd: CHINA BAN UPDATE

[carls...@aol.com]

 

 

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From: Jerrod...@DOH.WA.GOV
To: SHEL...@LISTSERV.WA.GOV
Sent: 12/18/2013 6:11:39 P.M. Pacific Standard Time
Subj: CHINA BAN UPDATE

 

While we’ve updated you on our work regarding PSP, I wanted to fill you in on developments that happened today.

We received confirmation this morning that the shipment related to our state was an arsenic concern; the shipment related to Alaska was a PSP concern.  We’ve done some spot-testing for arsenic in shellfish, but don’t do routine testing because:

 

·        There are no federal safety standards for arsenic in shellfish, and

·        Previous tests conducted by our agency in the areas where we expected arsenic to be high have shown that even in these areas the shellfish are safe to eat.

 

As an example we did targeted testing in Poverty Bay in the past, which is the area identified by China as the source of the geoduck in this ban.  China tested geoduck from this area and originally says it found inorganic arsenic at 0.5 parts per million (or 500 parts per billion).  They later reported 1.7 parts per million.  NOAA and FDA are still trying to determine how China conducted its tests; this is a very important factor in knowing what the tests mean.

 

Our results from the geoduck tested from Poverty Bay indicated levels of arsenic that were not a health concern.  Although we don’t expect to find levels of arsenic that would harm anyone’s health, we’ve decided to collect geoduck samples from a limited portion of Poverty Bay and have them tested at our public health lab.  

 

Our data from elsewhere in Puget Sound hasn’t shown a health concern from arsenic in shellfish, even for people who eat a lot of it.  The highest arsenic levels we’ve seen from the samples we’ve evaluated show an average range from 10-40 parts per billion.  The levels reported by China are about ten times higher than the average levels we’ve seen in our area.  Our analysis shows that Washington’s shellfish are unlikely to have levels of arsenic that would be harmful to people’s health.

We have information on our website here:  http://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Shellfish/CommercialShellfish/ChinaBan.aspx.  We’ll be updating this information as we learn new information.

We’ll continue to work with relevant state and federal agencies to ensure this matter is quickly resolved.  We’ll keep you posted as we hear more. 

Jerrod Davis, P.E.

Director

Office of Shellfish and Water Protection

Washington State Department of Health

Olympia, WA  98504-7824

(360) 236-3391

 

Public Health - Always working for a safer and healthier Washington!