A french study on the efficiency of sanitary shucking of scallops contaminated by the lipophilic toxins

Following episodes of contamination of Pecten maximus and Aequipecten opercularis by okadaic acid lipophilic toxins (autumn 2014 in eastern Cotentin, Normandy and summer  2016 in North West Cotentin respectively), the French... [ view full abstract ]

Following episodes of contamination of Pecten maximus and Aequipecten opercularis by okadaic acid lipophilic toxins (autumn 2014 in eastern Cotentin, Normandy and summer  2016 in North West Cotentin respectively), the French National Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins was commissioned by the General Directorate of Food of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Forestry to carry out a study on the distribution of these toxins in the  shellfish. 

One hundred and thirty individuals of Pecten maximus, harvested in 3 contaminated areas of the Baie-de-Seine, and one hundred and twenty individuals of Aequipecten opercularis, from two different lots, were analyzed for regulated lipophilic toxins (Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004) by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS / MS). Analyses involved two different parts of each individual, namely “roe-on” (adductor muscle and gonad)/“roe-off” (adductor muscle only) and “rest of the animal”.

The aim was to determine intra-batch inter-individuals variability on the one hand and the distribution of toxins between the two parts of the scallops on the other. Results were evaluated statistically  in order to assess the efficiency of sanitary shucking  of scallops contaminated with okadaic acid and explore the possibility  of placing on the market the ‘muscle and gonad’ only or the muscle only  from Pecten and Aequipecten initially contaminated by DSP toxins.