Developing an assurance scheme for shellfish and human health (DASSHH)

This project seeks to develop an innovative risk based approach to enable the production of high quality shellfish that fully meets consumer safety and regulatory requirements while recognising the variable water quality environment in which most UK aquaculture production occurs.

The specific project aims include: - Improving our understanding of the sources of microbial contamination and how uptake by shellfish varies with a range of potentially predictive environmental factors, so that producers can more accurately predict, manage and intervene to reduce the risk of contaminated product being harvested.

- Assessing the risk implications associated with microbial contamination and determining if there are post-harvest measures that can be used to remedy or mitigate this risk so that product is safe for consumption.

- Developing a risk based management system that: - Compliments the current retrospective classification system (which is based on fixed sample location and dates) by guiding the management action that should be taken when poor water quality is predicted, in line with agreed mitigation measures. - Enables regulators and industry to cooperate on the application of the regulatory framework, with the aim of reducing incorrect downgrading of shellfish beds while ensuring that the required standards for public health are maintained. - Provides the shellfish industry with the ability to engage in real time management of their harvesting operations, outside the regulatory sampling periods.