Beware of the poisons on the Christmas table – here are the dishes to avoid

Published 2 December 2024 at 12.22

Domestic. Environmental toxins such as dioxins and PCBs are a permanent feature of Swedish Christmas tables and are found in dishes that are so toxic that they may not be sold in other EU countries. The Swedish Food Agency warns of the risk of serious complications, but to benefit Swedish commercial fishermen, the government has passed an EU exemption that allows the sale of poisoned fish regardless of how high the levels are.

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Several popular dishes on the Christmas table, especially those containing oily fish from the Baltic Sea, can contain high levels of dioxins and PCBs. According to the Swedish Food Agency, these environmental toxins are both long-lived and harmful to health, and they can cause serious problems such as birth defects, effects on the immune system and even cancer.

Fatty fish from the Baltic Sea worst< br>Fatty fish such as wild-caught salmon, sturgeon and eel are singled out as particularly problematic in the Swedish Food Agency's reports. Dioxins and PCBs are stored in the body's fat tissue and break down very slowly, which means that even small amounts can have major consequences with regular consumption.

According to the Swedish Food Agency, the risks include:

• Impaired fertility and birth defects.
• Impact on the immune system.
• The skin disease chloracne and increased risk of cancer.

Sweden has an exception from EU limit values
Although the EU has strict rules for dioxins in food, Sweden has an exception that allows the sale of fish with levels above the EU's limit values. It was Fredrik Reinfeldt who in the early 2010s went against the Swedish Food Agency and requested an exception from the EU with reference to the financial interests of the Swedish fishing industry. This means that Swedish grocery stores can sell fish with any high levels of environmental toxins without hindrance from the EU.

However, Sweden has promised that the Swedish Food Agency, the county administrations and the municipalities must control the food companies that sell fish to other EU countries or countries outside the EU, so that poisoned fish does not risk being eaten by someone who does not live in Sweden. Suspected illegal sales are reported to the Swedish Customs Agency and can be prosecuted as a violation of food legislation.

On its website, the Swedish Food Agency admits that food sold in Swedish stores can cause a number of injuries, but that it can still be sold as a result of the exception. The authority tried in vain to get the government to refrain from requesting an exemption from the limit values ​​back in 2011, but the exemption has remained and now applies indefinitely.

Dangerous dishes on the Christmas table
The Swedish Food Agency draws particular attention to the following dishes that may contain high levels of dioxins and PCBs:

• Grilled salmon and smoked salmon – About the fish is wild-caught from the Baltic Sea.
• Strömming – One of the fish species singled out as the most problematic.
• Eel – Both an endangered species and one of the most polluted.
• Fatty lake fish, for example smoked whitefish, from Vänern and Vättern.

The Swedish Food Agency recommends that consumers choose farmed salmon instead, which contains significantly lower levels of dioxins and PCBs.

Women of childbearing age should be careful
According to the Swedish Food Agency, it is particularly important for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant sometime in the future to avoid oily fish from risk areas such as the Baltic Sea. Poisons such as dioxins can affect the development of the fetus and cause long-term health problems for both the mother and the child.

For those who want to reduce the risk, the Swedish Food Agency recommends limiting the consumption of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea, Vänern and Vättern to a maximum of two to three times per year.

How to reduce the risk
The Swedish Food Agency's recommendations to reduce exposure to dioxins and PCBs are to:

• Choose fish from safe sources, such as farmed salmon or cod.
• Limit consumption of oily fish from risk areas.
• Inform yourself about where the fish comes from before buying.