RE: Parasites in Red Tuna

From: Pamela Tom (pdtom@ucdavis.edu)
Date: Wed Jan 10 2007 - 17:25:51 PST

  • Next message: Ivan Bartolo: "RE: Parasites in Red Tuna"

    To: Seafood HACCP Discussion List

     

    To add to Amilcar's comments, the small tunas are referred to in Chapter
    3, "Potential Species - Related & Process - Related Hazards," Table 3-1,
    Potential Vertebrate Species Related Hazards, of the FDA's Fish and
    Fisheries Products Hazards and Controls Guidance, 3rd edition, 2001 and
    is available on the Internet
    (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/haccp4c1.html) :

     

    Allothunnus fallai

    Auxis spp.

    Euthynnus spp.

    Katsuwonus pelamis

    Thunnus tonggol

     

    The table of contents is at: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/haccp4.html

     

    Note: the US Food and Drug Administration is updating the "Hazards
    Guide". When information on the revisions are available, it will be
    announced on this listserv (among other sources) - perhaps by late March
    or earlier.

     

    Pamela Tom

    ===========================================

    Pamela Tom, Seafood Extension Program Manager

    University of California

    California Sea Grant

     

    Fax: 530/752-4759

    Web: http://seafood.ucdavis.edu <http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/>
    (SeafoodNIC)

    E-mail: pdtom@ucdavis.edu

     

    -----Original Message-----
    From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu] On
    Behalf Of Amilcar Caputo
    Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 4:42 PM
    To: Peter A. Nelson
    Cc: John Kaneko; Janani Tulasendrapuram; seafood@ucdavis.edu
    Subject: Re: Parasites in Red Tuna

     

    Well, guys, if you look at the "Fish and Fisheries Products Hazards &

    Control Guidance" (third edition), there are some Tuna (specially small

    ones) that do have parasite's hazards. That's on page 36.

     

    Regards,

     

    Amilcar Caputo, M.S.

    Fuji Food Products, Inc.

     

     

    > No parasites of health concern? Really? I seem to remember reading in

    > Desowitz's book (New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers) about

    > someone getting a rather nasty (round?) worm from eating raw tuna.
    Pete

    >

    >

    > Peter A. Nelson

    > Marine Advisor

    > California Sea Grant

    > Adjunct Professor

    > Dept Fish. Biol., Humboldt State University

    > 2 Commercial Street, Suite 4

    > Eureka, California 95501

    >

    > Tel 707.443.8369

    > Fax 707.445.3901

    > panelson@ucdavis.edu

    >

    >

    > On Jan 10, 2007, at 10:36 AM, John Kaneko wrote:

    >

    >> Janani,

    >>

    >> What species of tuna are you referring to as "red tuna". Do you

    >> mean yellowfin, bigeye, or bluefin?

    >>

    >> These species of tuna are commonly eaten raw as sashimi. They do

    >> not contain parasites of public health concern in the edible

    >> muscle. Therefore freezing these fish prior to raw consumption is

    >> not necessary.

    >>

    >> Freezing temperatures for tuna for other reasons such as

    >> transportation, storage, etc. depends on the intended end use. For

    >> canning raw material, freezer temperatures need not be very low.

    >> The raw frozen tuna oxidizes and turns brown. But after cooking and

    >> canning, the color of the raw muscle is not an issue.

    >>

    >> To retain the natural red color and muscle clarity required for the

    >> sashimi market, freezing must be done at sea immediately and at

    >> ultra low temperatures (ULT). This requires specialized equipment.

    >> ULT frozen tuna is common in Japan because of the distance the fish

    >> must travel from the fishing grounds to the market and not because

    >> of a parasite food safety risk.

    >>

    >> Frozen tuna treated with carbon monoxide does not need to be frozen

    >> or shipped at ultra low temperatures because the carbon monoxide

    >> prevents the natural oxidation that would otherwise result in the

    >> normal color change from red to brown. Carbon monoxide treated tuna

    >> retains its unnatural red color without requiring ULT freezer

    >> temperatures.

    >>

    >> Aloha,

    >>

    >> John Kaneko MS, DVM

    >> PacMar Inc.

    >> Honolulu, Hawaii

    >> ----- Original Message -----

    >> From: Janani Tulasendrapuram

    >> To: seafood@ucdavis.edu

    >> Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 6:09 AM

    >> Subject: Parasites in Red Tuna

    >>

    >> Good morning,

    >> This is regarding parasites in Red Tuna. Is there a published

    >> lethality table that deals with temperatures above -20C? FDA says

    >> -35C for 15 hours is a good as -20C for 7 days. But what if you

    >> could only guarantee -10C in the transportation chain? How many

    >> days at -10C would you need?

    >> I would appreciate it, if anyone can pass along any information

    >> regarding the above.

    >>

    >> Thanks and have a nice day!

    >>

    >>

    >> -Janani Tulasendrapuram

     

     

    Amilcar Caputo

    Cell: (714) 448 5355

     



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