Salmon processor Jelex Seafood, which had a somewhat casual approach to listeria, is now bankrupt. Photo: Jelex Seafood.

Danish salmon processor folds after fake safety checks are exposed

Danish salmon processing company Jelex Seafood has gone bankrupt after Danish TV2 programme Operation X revealed that it had falsified listeria analyses, according to a report by Danish online newspaper Finans.dk.

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The analyses are intended to ensure that dangerous bacteria were not found in the fish before it was sold.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration investigated the case after the disclosure, and subsequently found a number of falsified listeria analyses. This led to a police investigation into the misleading customers and for document fraud. 

During subsequent checks at Jelex Seafood, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration found such serious violations of the rules that it reported Jelex Seafood to the police nine times.

According to Finans.dk, the company was not at all concerned about the cheating, saying that they were convinced that all customers would cook the salmon, and thus any listeria bacteria would not be a problem.

The company has now been declared bankrupt.