RE: Parasites in Red Tuna

From: Ivan Bartolo (I_Bartolo@Seafish.co.uk)
Date: Thu Jan 11 2007 - 00:39:25 PST

  • Next message: Evert Liewes: "Re: Parasites in Red Tuna"

    To add the EU perspective on fish parasites, European hygiene legislation
    requires all "fishery products to be eaten raw or almost raw" to be frozen
    to -20°C or colder for not less than 24 hours at some point along the
    production chain. A document from the manufacturer stating the process
    undergone has to accompany the fish as it changes hands. This is detailed in
    Regulation 853/2004 in Annex III, Section VIII.
     
    There are moves afoot here in the UK to launch an awareness campaign on this
    requirement aimed specifically at sushi restaurants.
     
    Regards
    Ivan Bartolo
    Food Standards Officer
    Legislation Department
    Sea Fish Industry Authority
    Tel: 01482 327837
    Fax: 01482 223310
    Seafish legislation pages: www.seafish.org/b2b/area.asp?p=48
    <http://www.seafish.org/b2b/area.asp?p=48>
     
     

       _____

    From: Pamela Tom [mailto:pdtom@ucdavis.edu]
    Sent: 11 January 2007 01:26
    To: seafood@ucdavis.edu
    Subject: RE: Parasites in Red Tuna - [SC: 8% -- Scanned(Spam_Server)]

    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
    <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
    <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 <mailto: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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