長崎県環境保健研究センターの活動と研究について―水産物及び水産加工食品の安全性確保の取組

抄録

Under the Food Sanitation Law, the Nagasaki Prefectural Institute of Environment and Public Health conducts standardized inspections of food products distributed in the prefecture, inspects standards for the use of food additives, and conducts research and studies that contribute to food safety and security. This paper introduces the efforts and recent results of administrative inspections and research on marine products and processed marine products in Nagasaki Prefecture, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides and boasts abundant marine resources.
The inspections conducted on fish paste products regarding ingredient standards and the use of food additives have not found any violations of ingredient standards for coliforms or violations of standards for the use of sorbic acid over the past three years. However, in 2020, two cases were confirmed where sorbic acid was detected in samples without proper labeling indicating its use.
In the tests for veterinary drug residues in cultured fish, paralytic shellfish poisoning, and toxicity in puffer fish (Takifugu vermicularis), no samples exceeding the standard values have been found in recent years. Additionally, food allergen tests for shrimp and crab were conducted on a total of 111 samples from 2013 to 2019, out of which 9 samples were found to violate labeling regulations (potentially mislabeled products).
The Physical Chemistry Department in Nagasaki Prefecture handled 40 cases of confirmed or suspected food poisoning from 2004 to 2022, of which 37 cases were caused by marine products, which accounted for over 90% of the total cases. Particularly, food poisoning caused by tetrodotoxin (TTX), a puffer fish toxin, accounted for the majority of the 27 cases, while one case was caused by ingestion of gastropods, which are non-puffer fish organisms. In this research study, we addressed health crises caused by marine natural toxins (marine biotoxins) and developed a rapid analysis method for detecting TTX in patients' biological samples (serum and urine), and summarized the quantitative results of TTX concentrations in leftover food and biological samples of food poisoning cases caused by puffer fish and gastropod consumption in Nagasaki Prefecture from 2011 to 2017, and their correlation with symptoms. We have also initiated a research study on seafood allergy in adults. Furthermore, as a prefectural research institute, the center collaborates with other research institutes in the prefecture to evaluate the quality of marine products and conduct safety research.
As the scientific and technical core of hygiene administration in Nagasaki Prefecture, we will continue to respond to social conditions, citizens' needs, etc., and strive to ensure food safety in cooperation with government agencies.