Issues that raised concern included quality, sell-by dates and storage times. In samples taken from a total of 104 vendors, about a quarter of the fish was found to be of poor quality. A sixth of the samples were stored in temperatures above the legal limit of +3 degrees Celsius.
About half of the shops or vendors inspected were unable to produce any documentation or packaging which would have confirmed the shelf life of their fish.
Inspectors were concerned about the length of time the fish had been kept on sale and also about the standards of hygiene encountered.