Warning of poisonous trout in eels

Carcinogenic trout - Landratsamt warns against contaminated fish

07/12/2012

Beware of carcinogenic trout - The District Office Ostalbkreis in Aalen warns against "the consumption and marketing of fish from a fish farm" in the community Gschwend. The trouts of the fish farm Heinz Wiedmann contain poisonous "malachite green", that since 2004 may no longer be used throughout Europe in fish that are intended for consumption, according to the notification of the district office.

In the review of the "fish farm in the Ostalbkreis by the Veterinary and Food Surveillance Division of the district office of malachite green was no longer approved in fish farming demonstrated," reports the district office. The district administration warned at a press conference on Wednesday urgently against the consumption and the passing of contaminated fish. The owner of the fish farm estimates that he has sold about 1,500 trout contaminated to other farms, according to Drs. Ulrich Koepsel, from the responsible veterinary office. The juvenile fish had been passed on to different trout breeders or fish farmers in the area Ostalbkreis, Schwäbisch Hall and Rems-Murr-Kreis.

Malachite green: Cancer-causing and genotoxic disinfectant
Malachite green was once used as a disinfectant in fish farming against parasites and fungal infestations, explained Dr. med. Martina Bühlmeyer from the District Office Ostalbkreis. Since 2004, "malachite green is banned as a veterinary medicine because it has genotoxic and carcinogenic potential," said the authorities. Accordingly, the administration to animals, which are used for food production, has since been prohibited. "The limit has been uniformly set at EU-zero to zero micrograms per kilogram kg," explained the district office. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) also assesses malachite green as potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic. However, malachite green is still allowed for the treatment of aquarium fish.

Warning about trout from the fish farm Heinz Wiedmann
The Veterinary and Food Surveillance Division of the Ostalbkreis District Office was forced to inform the public in accordance with § 40 of the Food and Feed Code, in view of the considerable contamination detected in the trout. By law, if there is sufficient "suspicion that a food or feed may pose a risk to human or animal health", "appropriate steps" are taken to "educate the public about the nature of the health risk." The authorities are the phrase "risk and measures taken or taken to prevent, limit or eliminate the risk" is the wording of the Food and Feed Code. The Landratsamt fulfills this obligation with the current warning and not least names its name due to the lack of cooperation of the fish farmer concerned. "In the interests of preventive consumer protection, there is an urgent need to warn against consuming and placing fish on the market as food that has been procured from the Heinz Wiedmann fish farm," according to the Landratsamt Ostalbkreis.

Health risk from contaminated trout
With regard to the health risk posed by the contaminated trout, the authorities stated that "according to a BfR health assessment of 31 August 2007, the risk of malachite greens on single or occasional food consumption is low to moderate with malachite green are classified as low (up to 180 micrograms / kilogram). However, the values ​​in the present case between 230 and 1120 micrograms per kilogram and also be assumed, "that from a fishing pond an equal group of people repeatedly consumed fish consumed," said the district office. This could "not only be assumed by a single admission by the group of people affected," said the authorities.

Routine testing leads to contaminated trout
Attention was drawn to the trout during routine testing of a trout farm in the Rems-Murr-Kreis, from where the trail led to the trout of Heinz Wiedmann. This was the authorities, according to Dr. Ulrich Köpsel from the Aalen Veterinary Office is not yet known as a fish farmer, which allows the conclusion that Wiedmann does not have the necessary approval. Lothar Hänle, press spokesman for the Landratsamt in the neighboring Heidenheim, also criticized the lack of cooperation of the accused fish farmers. This "hides behind the statement that he is just a small hobby breeder," Hänle continues. Supposedly, Wiedmann can not remember whom he has sold the fish. Also Dr. Ulrich Koepsel from the veterinary office in Aalen complained that Wiedmann was unwilling or unable to cooperate with the district administration to limit the damage. Therefore, his name had been made public to warn customers and customers.

Currently, take special care with trout
The district administrator of the Ostalbkreis, Klaus Pavel, appealed to trout breeders and pond keepers, who received fish from the fish farm in Gschwend, to turn to the competent authorities for food control and veterinary services. All trout breeders in the region are asked to check if they bought fish from Heinz Wiedmann. Also, according to the authorities, no trout should be purchased or sold at present, whose perfect origin is not proven. Since the load of malachite green fish is not to be considered and neither smell nor taste indicate the potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic substances, special care should be taken here. (Fp)

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