Europe warns of fraud with tuna adulterated in Spain after hundreds of poisonings

Cutting of a tuna in the fish market 'The Lord Martin' of the market of Chamberí, in Madrid. SEBASTIAN MARTÍN | EPV-GETTY

The European Union has called on Spain to take urgent action against food fraud with adulterated tuna that could have intoxicated hundreds of people in several EU countries.

The origin of the crisis is in thawed tuna loins sold as fresh that have not been preserved as required by law and injected extracts of beets or other vegetables. These additives contain nitrites that change the color of fish from brown to deep red and make it appear fresher than it is.

The fraud is centered on a fish increasingly demanded to make sushi and other dishes and would be sold in fishmongers or packaged in supermarkets at cheaper prices than the prohibitive bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus ). The detected deception would affect some 25,000 tonnes of tuna each year and would bring a profit of 200 million euros, as calculated by the European Commission in documents and letters to the Spanish authorities to which this newspaper has access.

HOW TO KNOW IF FRESH TUNA IS FRAUDULENT?

Fraudulent tuna is sold thawed on fresh loins and is virtually impossible to identify for any consumer. "At -18 º, the enzymatic processes of degradation are paralyzed." The tuna maintains its freshness when thawed and sold as fresh, while if frozen at -9 º continues to degrade and therefore when thawed there is a higher risk of microorganisms and histamine, "according to sources familiar with the investigation." It is not possible at first sight for the consumer to identify whether it has been frozen at -9 ° or -18 °, only through documentary traceability by the inspection, and add that "if it has been reddened by additives it is not easy for the consumer to detect it unless it is accustomed to the natural color, more brown,

In October last year the EU executive informed by letter to Alfonso Dastis, the current foreign minister and then Spain's permanent representative to the EU, that representatives of the European fishing industry had warned them of the fraud. At least two food poisoning alerts in Italy and France had their origin in fresh tuna sold by a company based in Spain, they said. These were cases of scombroidosis, a food poisoning that causes hives, vomiting and diarrhea because the fish contains high levels of histamine.

The fish freezes after being caught. According to European law, if it is to be sold fresh it must be kept at 18 degrees below zero and can never rise from that temperature until it is thawed for sale to the consumer. In contrast, the specimens that are frozen in brine, at nine below zero, can only be sold canned. The fraud detected by the EU "could be related" to health warnings and would consist of selling as fresh tuna that could only be dedicated to canning and also has been treated with illegal additives to change its appearance, which is a deception to the consumer , according to the EU. "While the consumer thinks the product is fresh and of good quality, it can actually contain lots of histamine that can cause strong allergic reactions," the two-page missive explained.

Since then, alerts have been triggered for poisonings of this type inside and outside Spain. So far this year there are 171 affected, when in 2016 there were only 25 and in 2015, 63, according to the European Commission. In these cases, detected in one or more countries and originated by fish from a third country, it would be necessary to add those that affect a single State and that register the national health authorities. This is the case of Spain, where in May there were 105 intoxicated in several autonomous communities after eating tuna distributed by an Almerian company. The crisis forced the Ministry of Health to withdraw lots throughout Spain and to ask consumers not to eat fresh tuna if they were not sure of where they came from. The Civil Guard investigates seven people for a alleged offense against public health for this case .

Manipulated fish continues to reach the market from Spanish establishments, according to the EU

Spain has not been able to solve the problem and fraudulent tuna continues to reach the market from Spanish establishments, according to the Commission. In June and July of this year experts from the community executive accompanied the Spanish authorities in an inspection of 13 companies that sell tuna in Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid, Murcia, Andalusia and Galicia. The official findings confirm that some of these companies continue to sell as fresh tuna that should only be used for canning and using additives. "The change of color is clearly visible and can lead the consumer to think that the product is fresh", denounces the four-page report, sent on September 14 to Pablo García-Berdoy, Spain's current permanent representative to the EU.

After the first alerts arrived, the fraudulent sale was reduced by 30%, but it is still happening, warns the Commission. Eventually it is the public health authorities in each region who must take measures to prevent fraud, something that, as the Commission now denounces, does not seem to have happened.

"If these activities do not stop quickly, and since they pose a clear risk to the health of European consumers, the Commission will not hesitate to take any measures necessary to stop the circulation of these products in the EU", explains a spokesman for the executive of Brussels. "Possible measures include banning fresh tuna coming from establishments where fraud has been confirmed," added the same sources, who do not identify the companies involved.

The Community Executive warns of an inspection in the companies involved

The Government does not provide details on what measures have been taken following EU warnings. The Ministry of Health refers to the information notes that the Spanish Agency of Consumption, Food Security and Nutrition has sent to all the autonomous communities warning that the type of treatment of fish described by the European Union is illegal. The Environment Ministry states that "it has called on the competent fishing authorities in each autonomous community to evaluate this situation", and "is working together with the sanitary and food fraud authorities to proceed with the analysis and relevant research ".

The fishing industry disassociates tuna fraud from reported intoxications. "There is no public health problem, consumers can rest easy because the tuna is in perfect condition," explains Javier Garat, secretary general of the Spanish Confederation of Fisheries (Cepesca) and president of Europeche, his European counterpart. He acknowledges that "there is now a great deal of discussion with the European Commission about its interpretation of the law that frozen fish above -18º can not be sold more than canned and we do not know if it will be a problem that reaches the courts, "he says.

This Monday the community executive announced to Spain that he will carry out a new official inspection of companies that sell tuna to check if the food controls of each community work and to know what measures have been taken to end the fraud. He also gives Spain until the end of the month to explain what he has done to end these practices.