Institute for Fish and Fishery Products Cuxhaven

The Institute for Fish and Fishery Products Cuxhaven (IFF CUX) in the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES) is a specially established test institute for fish and fishery products, focussing also on research. The institute located in Cuxhaven is made up of one central group and six specialist areas.

As a result of the official government contract between Lower Saxony and Bremen, the areas of operations of the IFF CUX, as well as the food testing authority (fish) Bremen (LUA Bremen), branch office Bremerhaven, and the food monitoring, animal welfare and veterinary services of the state Bremen (LMTVet Bremen), were all encompassed in the "Fish Competence Centre North” (FKN). In the FKN, the official bacteriological testing of fish and fishery products in Lower Saxony and Bremen is carried out by the food testing authority Bremerhaven. In the IFF CUX, the organoleptic, chemical-analytical, virological-molecular and parasitiological tests of fish and fishery products in Lower Saxony and Bremen are performed.

The IFF CUX is responsible for the official testing of clams in Lower Saxony mudflats, in accordance with current hygiene requirements. Additionally, research and development work have to be done, especially in the area of aquaculture.

The following significant areas are dealt with by the IFF CUX:

• chemical, organoleptical, parasitological, and virological evaluation, as well as general monitoring (in accordance with general food law) of fish and fishery products in Lower Saxony and Bremen, including fish and fishery products brought into the EU with the approval of border controls at Lower Saxony and Bremen
• monitoring of environmental radioactivity (gamma and beta rays) in fishery products statewide, and in general food (except raw milk) regionally (former administrative region Lüneberg) by the Radiology Monitoring Station
• monitoring mussel harvesting areas in mudflats, in accordance with approved hygiene laws
• testing of freshwater fish, sea mammals and mussels in Lower Saxony for diseases
• monitoring Lower Saxony aquaculture within the scope of the European residue control plan
• research and development, particularly in the area of aquaculture Lower Saxony
• cooperation of EU-approved fish production companies, distribution centres, fish cutters and aquaculture companies in Lower Saxony, as experts in hygiene monitoring in accordance with EU hygiene laws
• Coordination of working groups and statements from the Fish Competence Centre North

The focussed expertise on fish and fishery products in the Institute, comes into play in the inspection rounds of the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), in twinning-assignments, partly in the regional and nationwide working groups which are expertly led, in the consulting of the highest regional authority in Lower Saxony and Bremen in respect of legislative roles and strategic tasks, and as experts in proposed legislative planning of the EU. For the development of new testing methods in the areas of chemical-analytics as well as bacteriology and virologx, postgraduates and graduates are employed.

The IFF CUX currently employs more than 32 workers, as well as 3 third-party employees, whereby 11 employees, mostly female, work reduced hours. Six to eight trainees (2 per apprenticeship year) are also employed.

Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety
Institute for Fish and Fishery Products Cuxhaven
Schleusenstr. 1
D-27472 Cuxhaven

Phone: +49 47 21 69 89-0
Fax: +49 47 21 69 89-16
poststelle.Iff-cux@laves.niedersachsen.de

Here you will find directions to the Institute for Fish and Fishery Products Cuxhaven.