Food safety inspectors have stopped a shellfish trader in Zeeland from exporting 47 tonnes of mussels after it failed to take action over two food poisoning incidents in England and Switzerland.

A small quantity of the mussels, which were exported to Ireland, are also being recalled, the food safety body NVWA says.

In November, the same company was at the centre of another recall after several people became ill in England after eating mussels containing biotoxins, a poison common in shellfish. Those mussels came from Ireland but had been sold by the Dutch company.

Tracking system

The company was aware of the problem but did not register it with the authorities in time, food safety inspectors say. In December there was a second incident involving mussels in Switzerland. 

Those mussels, said at the time to be of Danish origin, turned out to be from the same Irish consignment as in the English food poisoning case.

Food inspectors have now effectively closed down the trader pending a full investigation and possible criminal charges.

The trader, which was not named, is based in Yerseke, which is at the centre of the Dutch shellfish industry.