, 2004), in addition to their analyses of farmed salmon from other countries. The food safety calculations were based on guidelines from the find more US-EPA (EPA, 2000). The mean sum of dioxins and dl-PCBs in farmed Atlantic salmon found by Hites and co-workers was approximately 2.3 pg WHO-TEQ 98 g− 1/kg b.w. When converted into WHO-TEQ 05, this corresponds to 1.8 pg WHO-TEQ 05 g− 1/kg b.w.

These fish were collected in the years 2002–2003 and are therefore comparable to our results from that period. Conversely, if the PTWI established by the SCF for dioxins and dl-PCBs is used on the results from Hites et al. (2004), the maximum tolerable consumption of Atlantic farmed salmon is approximately 420 g per week. Shaw and co-workers also evaluated Norwegian farmed salmon in terms of dl-PCB levels (Shaw et al., 2006). However, as no dioxins was analysed the total TEQ reported was based on dl-PCBs. They observed a total dl-PCBs of 2.85 pg WHO TEQ 98 g− 1 which translates

into 2.22 pg WHO TEQ 05 g− 1. These results are based on triplicates of three salmon collected between 2003 and 2004. In comparison, our results show lower MDV3100 levels of dioxins and dl-PCBs than earlier studies. However, if the decline in contaminant burden during the last years is taken into account, our results are comparable. In this study, a large number of Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon have been analysed for a range of contaminants. In general, the levels of contaminants in the fillet of Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon have decreased from 1999 to 2011. The levels of contaminants measured in Norwegian farmed salmon were compared with the TWIs established by the SCF and EFSA, and the Interleukin-3 receptor limiting factor for consumption of Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon was the content of dioxins and dl-PCBs. Due to the decrease of the levels in these contaminants over the years, the amount of Norwegian farmed salmon that can safely

be consumed in terms of the TWI has increased from 370 g per week in 1999, to more than 1.3 kg per week in 2011. It should be noted, however, that the contributions of dioxins and dl-PCBs from other food sources are not included in these calculations. The authors wish to acknowledge the Norwegian Food Safety Authority for the administration, sample collection and collaboration related to the EU 96/23 directive surveillance programme. Additionally, the authors wish to acknowledge the technical staff at NIFES for all the analytical work, and particularly Laboratory Manager Annette Bjordal. “
“Even though the history of flame retardants (FRs) dates back thousands of years (Hindersinn, 1990), it is the recent developments, and in particular the use of organic FRs, that is of current concern.