The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has decided that Blue Analytics fulfils the regulatory requirements for designation as a public laboratory within fish health for SAV analyses (Salmonid alphavirus; SAV2/SAV3). SAV is the virus that causes pancreatic disease (PD).
Blue Analytics is accredited in accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17025 for a number of the analyses that the laboratory offers the Norwegian market. With the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s approval, farmers in Norway can now use the analysis laboratory in Bergen to carry out government-mandated screening programmes to combat PD.
Requirements for publicly designated laboratory
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority designates public laboratories that carry out laboratory analyses, examinations and diagnostics in connection with samples taken during official controls and other public activities (Regulation (EU) 2017/625). The reason for the designation is that the laboratory fulfils all the requirements of the regulation, and that the methodology has been reviewed and accepted by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute (national reference laboratory for fish diseases).
In order to be a designated laboratory, Blue Analytics must possess the right knowledge and experience. The laboratory must have a sufficient number of qualified employees, have the right equipment and good infrastructure to ensure that the right analysis results can be delivered at the right time. The laboratory’s tasks must be carried out impartially and without conflicts of interest. In addition, the analyses must be accredited in accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17025.
“The fact that Blue Analytics is now a designated public laboratory gives fish farmers further assurance that the analyses are of a high standard and that we comply with all the requirements defined in the Control Regulation”
Anette Hansen Kausland, Quality Manager at Blue Analytics
Want more analyses approved
The SAV analysis is the first of our PCR tests that Blue Analytics can perform on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority as a public laboratory. SAV2 and SAV3 are part of a public screening programme for farmed fish.
“We are also working to achieve the same status for ISA and BKD analyses. These notifiable diseases are monitored on broodstock, and we believe we have particularly good expertise in these analyses.”
Øyvind Vågnes, Head of Diagnostics at Blue Analytics
Blue Analytics already has accredited analyses for ISA virus and Renibacterium salmoninarum, which causes bacterial kidney disease (BKD).