In April 2017, the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (IAMZ-CIHEAM), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, and AZTI (experts in marine and food innovation), with the collaboration of IES Escuela Agraria Derio, will host an international course on safety assessment of seafood products.

Safety assessment of seafood products is essential to ensure the provision of safe fish and fish products to consumers and to facilitate international trade. Seafood comprises a great diversity of species, including finfish species, molluscs, cephalopods and crustaceans. These originate from both capture fisheries and aquaculture. Different hazards are associated with each species and can occur at all stages of the value chain, influencing seafood quality and safety. There are many food safety hazards associated with seafood and some, such as biotoxins and Vibrio spp., are exclusive to the aquatic environment. Monitoring and surveillance of these and other relevant hazards is a crucial component of any food control system and central to this task is accurate analytical assessment. This assessment provides the evidence base for any seafood safety management decisions.