Virus-carrying salmon will not sicken humans, FDA says

Is this another fail on the behalf of the FDA? Is this yet another example of glitch in the system that continues to put the US food supply at risk?

The Food and Drug Administration says Chilean salmon is still safe to consume despite a virus that has killed scores of fish.

"We have no information that there is any harm that can come from eating Chilean salmon," said Ira Allen, a spokesman for the FDA Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition.

Found only in Chilean farmed salmon, the virus causes infectious anemia in the fish, but it's not harmful to humans.

Mmmmm.... imported, farmed, virus-laden salmon. Sounds yummy! According to this article, a little over 30% of all farmed salmon imported to the US is from Chile and apparently, this virus appeared two years ago.

Last month the government of Chile took steps to clean up the way it farms salmon, including moving fishing operations to a different area of the Chilean coast.

But the virus, which appeared at least two years ago, persisted.

The PEW Environmental Group sued the FDA for documents pertaining to recent Chilean inspections and found that the Chileans were using chemicals and medications to raise the salmon that were not approved for use in the US or in Europe. However, according to the spokesperson for US National Fisheries Institute:

"This is an aquaculture industry issue, not a public health issue" CNN- link

So, who's hungry for farmed salmon with a virus? Any takers?

reply to post by LadySkadi


Well I'll be watching closely which fish I consume. I love Fish and most sea food.

Just another example of Uncle Sam looking out for us consumers.

Well, there, no reason to worry. After all, why would I doubt the FDA if they say it's safe? After all, they approved GMOs and ammonia treated beef, right?

Dang, my son likes salmon too.

In 2007, the FDA was urged to begin testing farm-raised Chilean salmon.

"We obviously have a problem, at least according to German government data," the AP quoted Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist with the nonprofit Consumers Union, as saying. "Some of these banned substances are potentially carcinogenic, and the only way to find out how widespread it might be is for the Food and Drug Administration to get out there and start testing."

Green Blog, 2008

While I do not trust the FDA all together, bacteria/"viruses" are also part of our human body.

Hell, raw meat is filled with dangerous pathogens. Cook it and wa la!

reply to post by FritosBBQTwist

True. However, in this case the Chilean farmed salmon were being given chemicals and medications that were banned in the US and Europe. Banned crystal violet and abamectina antibiotics were found to be at 300 times more (per ton of fish) than the fish imported from Norway (also a leading exporter)...

That's a concern.






[edit on 18-2-2010 by LadySkadi]

Man I used to like Salmon

reply to post by belial259
I love salmon. Don't stop eating it, just make sure it's WILD salmon.

Not a lot of wild salmon around Queensland unfortunately.

double, post messed up

[edit on 18-2-2010 by FritosBBQTwist]

That's a concern.

That would be a larger concern to me than some "virus" it has.

I try and stay relatively healthy. Yeah, I drink pop and these yogurts taste so good even though they have the words "ASPARTAME" written across the front.

Regardless, I still try to limit myself. If I were a salmon lover and eat it every day though, then safety would become one of my higher ranked priorities.

One here and there can't be to bad, can it?

And no, that is not sarcasm.

reply to post by LadySkadi

The PEW Environmental Group sued the FDA for documents...

Tell ya' what...let's take down the Codex Alimentarius Commission and we won't have to worry about the 'middlemen'...


Death to Tyranny..!!!


sorry - been drinkin'...


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Salmon prices leap as fish disease outbreak devastates Chile's supply:

Salmon prices are jumping after a sharp decline in global supply following the collapse of the Chilean industry following an outbreak of a fish disease.

Since the start of the year, wholesale prices for Norwegian-produced Atlantic salmon have risen 20.6 per cent, says Statistics Norway. That has extended a year-long rally in prices, which have risen 32.5 per cent to NKr37 (£4) a kilo. Link

Good side of this is that if the prices are going up globally, perhaps that will encourage more people to buy wild salmon, locally. The prices may not be that much different now...