Oyster Risk Profile

This is a risk profile produced by the Exposure Assessment and Trade (EAT) Team at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), commissioned by the UK Office for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Trade Assurance (UKOSPSTA), to inform the potential risks associated with importing oysters into the UK from any trading partner. Risks associated with importing oysters into the UK can be defined as any potential hazards identified within the specified commodity (oysters) which may pose a public health risk. These may occur naturally (for example marine biotoxins or naturally present microorganisms) or through anthropogenic sources (human interaction with the commodity) either via introduction of the hazard into the environment (for example agricultural or sewage waste entering marine systems resulting in the presence of certain chemicals or microorganisms) and/ or during the processing (including transit and storage) of the commodity (for example poor storage conditions or insufficient processing leading to microbial growth or poor hygiene leading to introduction of microbes). Animal health hazards which cause disease in oysters but do not pose a public health risk are not within the scope of this risk profile. Physical (for example, foreign objects) and allergen hazards are known and do cause a public health risk but are not considered within the scope of this risk profile because they are considered to be potentially universal considerations in regard to oysters. These hazards are not considered to be a risk for introduction of a particular public health hazard to the UK. For example, specific controls within domestic oyster production in the UK are known and considered to reduce the risk of microbial contamination, and some microbial hazards present in other countries are not present in the UK. Similarly, many chemicals are banned or not approved for use in the UK but may be in use in other countries. The risk profile focuses on the general population. However, where appropriate, specific concerns for particular hazards for vulnerable groups are noted. The scope also includes the provision of a summary of key risk mitigation measures, production methods and management processes from international standards and guidelines. Additionally, relevant domestic import controls, UK consumption patterns and information on key global producers and international trade. This is intended to provide information for auditors within the process of market access requests. A risk profile is not an import risk assessment in that a final risk output is not provided. Furthermore, commodities from specific countries are not discussed, except where information on international legislation, global trade and production of oysters is provided.