Perceived versus real toxicological safety of pangasius catfish: a review modifying market perspectives

News 09:31 24/03/2017
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Mass media reports suggest that pangasius (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) is ‘full of poison’ because it is able to survive in the ‘heavily polluted Mekong River’ and contains pesticides and veterinary treatment chemicals. However, most of these claims are not substantiated with scientific evidence. To assess the safety of pangasius consumption, a full toxicological risk assessment was performed. The results obtained were compared to toxicity claims made in a selection of media reports. Information on contaminant levels encountered in pangasius was collected from the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) database. The toxicological risk assessments do not support any of the toxicological risks suggested in the media.

Next, the maximum pangasius consumption that would be considered  safe  was estimated on the basis of the  cao nhất levels  of the toxic contaminants  reported  in Vietnamese pangasius by RASFF and the safety thresholds  for  the  contami- nants. The maximum amount of the recalled fillet that could have been consumed without any adverse effects amounted  to between  3.4 and  166.7 kg day—1  (life-  long for a 70  kg adult) in the case of pesticide contamination and between 0.613    and 303 kg fillet day—1  in the case of preservatives and K.sinhs. It is concluded  that consumption of pangasius available  on  the  European  market  does  not  pose any concern for the health of the consumer. The analysis presented in this study illustrates that publicly  available  independent  information  could  help  consumers  to develop their own well-informed opinion about food safety issues.

The following is a scientific document on the safety of pangasius consumption of prestigious organizations, research institutes of the Netherlands. The document provides objective scientific evidence of pangasius, contributing to the assertion that pangasius is a truly safe food for consumers.

Please click here to read the full document

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