Marler Clark LLP, PS (LexBlog Norway)

An assessment of food fraud covering four sectors in several countries has been published by the Nordic Council of Ministers. In 2018, a project was funded to examine the threats from criminal activity in the Nordic food production chain. Participating countries were Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden. Key topics were raw materials of animal origin,...

The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic is still being felt in figures on foodborne infections as the majority of them decreased in Norway this past year. In 2021, there was a decline for most infectious diseases that spread from food, water and animals and are subject to notification. This is probably due to less travel...

Norwegian officials have written to the European Commission to express their concerns about potential changes to rules around the shelf life of eggs. Ingvild Kjerkol, Minister of Health and Care Services, and Sandra Borch, Minister of Agriculture and Food in Norway, sent a letter to Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. Norway is part...

The number of foodborne outbreaks in Norway has remained steady but fewer people were sick in 2021 compared to the year before. A total of 25 foodborne outbreaks were announced this past year, which is on a par with 23 in 2020 but down compared to 46 in 2019 and 52 in 2018. Overall, 327...

An analysis of fermented sausages in Norway has found only one sample was positive for E. coli. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute examined domestically produced fermented sausages for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). There was one positive but the E. coli type usually does not cause serious human infection. A total of 137 samples of fermented...

Checks by Norwegian authorities at producers of a traditional dish have found a high level of compliance, according to a recently released report. Rakfisk is a fish product made by mild-salting and brine maturation at low temperatures for several months and is eaten without heat treatment. In 2020, two cases of botulism were recorded with...

Cyclospora, Toxoplasma, and Cryptosporidium have been detected in berries sold in Norway. Researchers said findings show the need for a system to ensure the parasitological safety of fresh berries. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries were tested for Echinococcus multilocularis, Toxoplasma gondii, Cyclospora cayetanensis and Cryptosporidium. Raspberries were the most contaminated followed by

A Norwegian agency has pledged almost $2.75 million to support food safety in developing countries. The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) funding covers 2021 to 2023 and is for the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF). Norad is part of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The STDF is managed by the World Trade Organization...

A rare type of Salmonella has infected 16 people in Norway with the majority needing hospital treatment. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet) reported that the Salmonella Blockley outbreak had affected people living in several counties in the country. The source of infection is unknown, so an investigation has been started with the Norwegian...

Researchers in Norway have established and evaluated a faster method to detect Listeria monocytogenes. Scientists at Nofima found it was possible to detect Listeria in a sample after only four hours of enrichment using a handheld sequencing device called MinION from Oxford Nanopore Technologies. This is 20 hours faster than the traditional enrichment method to look for the...

Most pathogens decreased in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced travel, according to a report published by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute. Diseases transmitted between animals and humans are called zoonoses. The decline in humans was highest for campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis and E. coli infections, mainly because of fewer travel associated cases. Occurrence of most...

An outbreak of hepatitis A in Norway has been linked to imported frozen raspberries. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) and Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) reported 20 people had been affected but the incident was now likely over. The outbreak ran from April to October and was reported earlier this year when 10...

Listeria can be found in salmon production environments and on fish, according to a study in Norway. Researchers said fish with low levels of Listeria monocytogenes could enter the downstream supply so maintaining the cold chain during transportation and further processing is crucial to prevent growth in the final products. The Institute of Marine Research screened for Listeria...

Notified foodborne outbreaks halved in Norway in 2020 compared to the year before. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) received 23 notifications about outbreaks this past year compared to 46 in 2019. Norovirus, Cryptosporidium, Salmonella and Yersinia were all reported three times each while the agent was unknown for five outbreaks. A total of...

The number of most foodborne diseases dropped in Norway in 2020 but there were increases for Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium and Yersinia. There was a decline for the majority of infectious diseases transmitted by food, water and animals and subject to notification in the Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases (MSIS), according to the annual surveillance report published by the...

The number of most foodborne diseases dropped in Norway in 2020 but there were increases for Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium and Yersinia. There was a decline for the majority of infectious diseases transmitted by food, water and animals and subject to notification in the Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases (MSIS), according to the annual surveillance report published by the...

Norwegian public health officials are investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A that has affected 10 people. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) reported an investigation has been started with local health services and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) but the suspected source is unknown. Infection has been detected in 10 people living in...

Norway has reported 13 human Salmonella infections over three years linked to the feeding and handling of snakes. Similarly, officials in the UK have reported almost 850 people have fallen ill with Salmonella infections in an outbreak that was first investigated in 2015. The National Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet) in Norway said the latest...

The majority of seafood products imported into Norway were compliant with food safety rules, according to a new report. The report summarizes the monitoring program for seafood imported to Norway from countries outside the European Union and the European Economic Area in 2020. Samples were collected at Norwegian border inspection posts and the Institute of...

Toxoplasma gondii is at the top of a risk ranking report of 20 pathogens in Norway. It was followed by Campylobacter, Echinococcus multilocularis, enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), Listeria monocytogenes, and non-typhoidal Salmonella, according to the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) commissioned the report, which...

Six people in Norway have fallen ill in recent months with the source of infection thought to be contaminated raw milk cheese from France. The foodborne outbreak was suspected to be caused by Salmonella Dublin in chilled cheese made with unpasteurized milk. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet) investigated the outbreak with the Norwegian...

A Codex committee has recommended new maximum levels (MLs) for cadmium in chocolate. The levels set for cadmium are 0.3 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) for chocolate containing up to 30 percent cocoa total solids and 0.7mg/kg for the 30 percent to 50 percent category. The European Union, Norway and Egypt did not agree with the...

Norwegian officials are investigating an increase of Yersinia infections reported since late April. Based on the range in geography of those infected, officials believe the source is a widely distributed food product. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet) reported the rise in Yersinia enterocolitica O3. An outbreak investigation has been started with relevant local...

A dried fruit mix linked to an outbreak of Salmonella in Norway contained products from South East Asia and Africa, according to researchers. From the end of 2018 to mid-March 2019, 56 people fell ill and 21 were hospitalized but no deaths were recorded. “The outbreak was characterized by an unusual, severe clinical presentation with...

Almost 20 children in Norway have fallen sick after a farm visit that included drinking unpasteurized, raw milk. Health officials reported 17 people became ill after the farm trip, including 16 children aged 3 to 5 years old. Most were infected with Campylobacter but a few patients were also diagnosed with infections from the parasite...

Norwegian officials have traced the source of a Salmonella outbreak to meat from Germany. Salmonella Enteritidis with the same genetic profile as the outbreak strain has been detected in a batch of beef imported from Germany. This batch has been withdrawn from the market. It has been used in the production of ground (minced) meat...

Public health officials in Norway are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella with up to 20 patients. Folkehelseinstituttet (the Norwegian Institute of Public Health) reported the outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis has seen 10 people need hospital treatment. A dozen people have been diagnosed with the outbreak strain and there are eight suspected cases. Samples were taken...

The decline in testing referrals for certain diseases during the coronavirus pandemic was greatest for foodborne and waterborne infections, according to an analysis in Norway. The project compares the number of referrals for diagnostic testing of selected notifiable pathogens and the proportion that tested positive during six months of the COVID-19 pandemic — March to...

A remote audit has found that Norway complies with European hygiene requirements for ready-to-eat (RTE) food but there are areas for improvement. The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) findings follow an assessment during 11 days in October 2020. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) has jurisdiction in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. ESA looked at how Norway implements...

Norway has opted not to change the rules around the sale of unpasteurized, raw milk to protect consumer health. In 2017, the Ministry of Health and Care Services commissioned the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) to prepare a draft regulation that allowed a limited sale of unpasteurized, raw milk and raw cream for human consumption....