Food scares like the recent Sudan I debacle have almost become part of the everyday life in western society, so much so that it is debatable what influence such scares, which in many cases are created by an over zealous media, have on the actual food purchasing and eating habits of the public.

A point in case was the Scottish farmed salmon scare about 15 months ago, when an apparently damning report from researchers in US and Canada claimed that Scottish farmed salmon were amongst the most contaminated in the world with chemicals called dioxins and PCBs linked to cancer and birth defects.

According to Aquaculture specialist Dr Malcolm Dickson, who is technical co-ordinator of the Aquaculture Today 2005 conference being held in Edinburgh from 13 to 14 April, said: “At the time there were fears that consumers would be put off buying salmon after the story was blown out of all proportion by the national media despite the Food Standards Agency confirming that the levels detected were within safety limits set by the World Health Organisation and European Commission.

“However, consumers proved they were not so easily taken in by sensationalist claims and largely ignored the health scare over Scottish farmed salmon, with initial figures from the major supermarkets at the time suggesting that sales had actually continued to increase. This typifies the growing desensitisation of the public to food scares, particularly those based on overblown scientific claims.

“It is particularly encouraging to the Scottish fish farming community that the average consumer clearly recognises the health-giving benefits of fish and can distinguish fact from fiction when deciding what is good for them to eat.”

At the Aquaculture Today 2005 conference leading industry speakers will discuss the increasing market demand for seafood, an increasing proportion of which is now farmed. Product differentiation and diversification are some of the hot topics to be explored as well as the need to communicate the clear health benefits from seafood consumption while protecting core markets.

Aquaculture Today is the only UK-based aquaculture conference covering all aquaculture sectors; salmonids, shellfish, marine fin-fish and other species. The conference will explore a number of key issues affecting aquaculture businesses including the regulatory environment for aquaculture, environmental responsibilities, aquatic animal health and aquaculture markets.

Further information about the Aquaculture Today conference can be found at www.aquaculturetoday.co.uk or by calling 0845 241 3444.

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