The Norwegian trade publication Intrafish reported today (15 October) that two people had died after eating salmonella-infected salmon – with the Dutch health agency warning that the death toll could rise to 17.
Read article in full via “Two die from
infected Foppen salmon – Dutch health agency said death toll could reach 17”
(Intrafish, 15 October)
Read more via:
“Salmonella poisoning kills two in
Netherlands” (Mareeg, 13 October)
“Over 500 Salmonella Cases Tied to
Smoked Salmon in Netherlands” (Food Safety News, 13 October)
“Dutch
public health watchdog says at least 1 elderly patient has died in salmonella
outbreak” (Associated Press/Montreal Gazette, 13
October)
"Blunders to Recall Contaminated Salmon" reported the Dutch newspaper AD (15 October). "Someone has been sleeping," said a food safety expert as it was revealed it took five days to recall the contaminated salmon. "This is a serious error that can get quite legal consequences," said IJsbrand Velzeboer.
"So far, 550 people in the Netherlands are certainly ill from consuming contaminated salmon," continued the article in AD. "Of these, about 200 hospitalized. Based on the large number of patients by the outbreak and fixed computational models the Dutch health agency RIVM estimated that eventually 17 people can die from the infection."
Read more via “11
firms fined for failing to act on infected salmon” (Dutch News, 11 October)
TV2 in Norway also broadcast a shocking report over the weekend (14 October) featuring nematode worms in Norwegian farmed salmon.
Watch Norwegian TV (14 October) on nematode worms in Norwegian
farmed salmon – online
here
Also watch TV2's report (5 October): “Roundworms
found in Norwegian farmed salmon for first time: see what the researchers found
in farmed salmon”
“Greek
factory blamed for salmonella in ‘Norwegian Salmon’,”
reported Norway’s online
publication E24 (5 October).
“Hundreds of people in the U.S. and Europe have
become ill after eating what is Norwegian smoked salmon,” continued the article by Anders Park Framstad. “E24 has been in contact with the company,
who did not want to comment on the manufacturer supplying the salmon.
Stavanger Aftenblad wrote in 2002 that Marine Harvest signed a further
agreement with the Dutch company. They
would not comment on the case, referring to the Norwegian Seafood Council.”
Read more via “Greek
factory blamed for salmonella in ‘Norwegian Salmon’” (E24, 5 October)
“Norwegian
salmon is blamed for salmonella outbreak,” reported the headline of
the Norway’s biggest-selling daily newspaper Aftenposten (4 October).
“The
infection originated from a Dutch factory, and some of the involved products
are labeled as Norwegian smoked salmon,” continued the article by Carl Alfred
Dahl. “The store chain Costco, which
sold salmon products with Norwegian names in the United States, immediately
pulled the products from their shelves when they got the call about the
salmonella findings in the Netherlands.”
Aftenposten also referred
to Marine Harvest – the world’s largest salmon farming company:
“Marine
Harvest was a supplier: Stavanger
Aftenblad
wrote in 2002 that the Norwegian fish farming giant Marine Harvest, which John
Fredriksen's largest shareholder, had signed long-term contracts with the
company Foppen in the Netherlands.
Communication Manager Martha H. Grindaker in Marine Harvest will neither
confirm nor deny whether Marine Harvest still delivers salmon to Foppen.
– We do not comment on the matter at all, she said to Aftenposten and referred the matter to
the Norwegian Seafood Council. Egil Ove Sundheim, the Norwegian Seafood Council's director of market
intelligence, told Aftenposten that they have no information linking this to
the Norwegian salmon.”
Read more via “Norsk
laks får skylden for salmonellautbrudd”
In
August 2012, Norwegian Fish Farmer magazine reported that the
Russian health authorities had detected salmonella contamination in Norwegian
farmed salmon. The following companies
were named: Alsvåg Fiskeprodukter, Nova Sea, Grieg Seafood Finnmark and
SnefjordKongekrabbe.
“Norwegian salmon
is a dangerous product, claims Russian veterinary authorities, who claims to
have found salmonella in salmon,” reported Norwegian Fish
Farmer magazine (2 August 2012). “Yesterday
it was announced by the Norwegian media that Russian veterinary authorities
have tightened control of salmon from two Norwegian salmon producers and two
other seafood companies. This could be a
harbinger of measures to come.”
According
to an article in Moscow News, Rosselkhoznadzor, representing the Norwegian Food
Safety Authority, stated that “Norwegian salmon is a dangerous product that
does not meet neither in Russia, Kazakhstan and White Russia”.
Read
more via “Salmonella i norsk laks” and "Russia
Says 'Nyet' to Norwegian Farmed Salmon"
For more background read “Sicko
Salmon – ABC News on "Horrible" Norwegian Farmed Salmon” (Salmon
Farming Kills, 4 October)
Michelle Lewis bought Kirkland Signature Norwegian Imported Smoked Salmon
from Costco, and she says it made her sick reported ABC
News (5 October) as US consumers tucked into their TV dinners.
"It was horrible. I didn't know what was wrong with me," said Lewis. After
several doctors checked her out, she had an ultrasound, an X-ray and a CT scan,
Lewis was diagnosed with a rare colon problem caused by bacteria. She was
treated with anti-nausea medicine, pain pills and antibiotics. "I feel much
better. Last week I felt like death warmed over," said Lewis.
Watch the ABC news TV report online
here
On 1 October, the Norwegian trade press publication Intrafish revealed that 90% of the
salmonella-contaminated salmon was farmed:
"Of the affected salmon, 90 percent was farmed," admitted a spokesperson for
Foppen (the Dutch processor at
the centre of the salmonella outbreak).
The Norwegian financial press (Hegnar Online) also cited
"Norwegian salmon" in an article published on 3 October in Norway.
However, the mainstream media have shamefully not reported on the
provenance of the salmonella-contaminated salmon. Foppen, the Dutch processor
embroiled in the salmon scandal, has refused to answer questions on the
issue.
"Until Foppen comes clean and reveals the source of the contaminated salmon,
consumers should surely avoid farmed salmon like the plague," said Don Staniford
of GAAIA. "Norwegian farmed salmon leaves a
nasty taste in the mouth and quite literally makes people sick. Consumers
around the world should follow Russia
and China
in boycotting farmed Norwegian salmon. Norwegian salmon farming is enough to
make you scream!"
For more details read “Norwegian
Farmed Salmon: the Source of the Salmonella Outbreak?”