The Polar Salmon Hjerting Laks fish factory in Esbjerg has been reported to the police for the third time this year.
This is reported by TV Syd based on an inspection report from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, which has reported the company to the police.
Polar Salmon Hjerting Laks is 100 percent owned by the Danish group Polar Seafood Denmark, half of which is owned by the Greenlandic group Polar Seafood Greenland.
The report mentions a number of criticisms from the agency, including the fact that the company adds brine and water to luxury products without declaring it.
It appears here that 7.5 percent is added to several products via so-called salting, which can mean that there is more than five percent water in the product without water being declared.
According to the agency, this also means that the percentage of fish stated on the packaging may be too high and thus misleading, as the brine is then counted as fish.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has further fined the fish factory 30,000 kroner.
Polar Salmon Hjerting Laks writes in the report that it adds brine to avoid a product that is too dry.
In addition, the company will "look at the problem", but does not agree with all the assessments from the board.
Director of Polar Salmon Hjerting Laks Jesper Kelly Innes states in a written response to FoodWatch that since this summer the company has been changing the labeling of the products that the agency has cracked down on.
- It has absolutely not been an intention to mislead, which we ourselves have been aware of and changed several months ago. In relation to the added water, this evaporates during drying and smoking, which is why we have assessed that the previous labeling has been adequate, the director tells the media.
The fish factory in Esbjerg has received particular attention after selling listeria-infected salmon.
Listeria is a disease that can be particularly serious for pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
Infection with listeria can cause symptoms of fever, diarrhea and vomiting.
Listeria can be found in many foods - in meat, vegetables, unpasteurized dairy products and processed fish products.
At the beginning of the year, Polar Hjerting Salmon Laks was reported to the police by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration for selling listeria-infected salmon without informing the authorities.
During an inspection, nine analyses for the period 2023-2024 showed positive results for listeria.
The agency concluded in a report that the company had "access and knowledge" of the analyses, but had "failed to act".
The Esbjerg company pointed out in this connection that "the findings occurred under former employees".
Barely two months later, the company was reported to the police again.
According to TV Syd, the reason given was that the company did not contact the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration in connection with the withdrawal of fish with listeria when it was detected in November 2024.
The Statens Serum Institut (SSI) then announced that salmon from the Esbjerg company could be linked to 27 cases of invasive listeria. This was reported by JydskeVestkysten.
All of the infected people that SSI could trace back to the company during the period 2018 to 2024 had been hospitalized.
Four of the infected people died within 30 days of being diagnosed with listeria, according to the media outlet.
/ritzau/
