To: Seafood Community
If you are involved with seafood processing and commerce in the US, you
should be aware of the Food and Drug Administration's Hazards and
Control Guidance which consists of 21 chapters and 8 appendices on
implementing HACCP. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/haccp4.html
Chapter 2 explains how to develop the HACCP plan based on Chapters 4-21
which address the biological, chemical and physical hazards. Chapter 3
identifies known hazards found in a long list of vertebrate and
invertebrate seafood species. The following guidance is provided in
each chapter on developing the HACCP plan:
* Understanding the potential hazard
* Determine if the potential hazard is significant
* Identify the critical control points
* Set the critical limits
* Establish monitoring procedures
* Establish corrective action procedures establish verification
procedures
* Establish a recordkeeping system
* A HACCP control strategy (excerpt of a HACCP plan(s)) for the
model(s) in the chapter are included
Chapter 3 "Potential Species-Related & Process-Related Hazards"
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/haccp4c.html ,
Chapter 9 "Environmental Chemical Contaminants & Pesticides (A Chemical
Hazard" and http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/haccp4i.html (PDF =
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/haccp4i.pdf) and
Chapter 10 "Methyl Mercury (A Chemical Hazard)
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/haccp4j.html (PDF =
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/haccp4j.pdf)
would be helpful in addressing Richard Chiver's inquiry for swordfish
and other species where you are concerned about environmental
contaminants including heavy metals.
In Appendix 5: FDA & EPA Safety Levels in Regulations and Guidance
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/haccp4x5.html , you will find tolerance
and action levels for fish. In general, contaminant levels in
ocean-caught (commercial) fish appear to be within the FDA and EPA
guidance levels cited in Appendix 5. In the 2001 edition of the Guide
(currently on-line), no chemical hazards are currently associated with
swordfish (Xiphias gladius).
The FDA plans to release a new edition of the Hazards Guide some time
this year. (It will be announced on this listserv.)
If you haven't had any seafood HACCP training, the Guide may appear
daunting when you first read it. Basic HACCP courses offered by 1)
Seafood HACCP Alliance/AFDO, 2) NMFS, and 3) SureFish (Lynwood,
Washington) are designed to show you how to use the Guide in developing,
assessing and modifying your HACCP plan
There is also an internet course (administered via New York Sea Grant
and Cornell University) which provides the first two days of training.
The "HACCP Segment 2 course" provides the hands-on training for
participants to experience and understand how to develop a HACCP plan.
The Guide is used as the principle resource in the course. Attendees
will receive a certificate from the Seafood HACCP Alliance/AFDO
indicating that they have completed training in the standardized
curriculum. Additional training information is in the HACCP regulation
(see: Sec. 123.10 Training):
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/searule3.html]
A course listing of basic HACCP and segment 2 courses is updated
routinely at: http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/haccp/training/masterca.htm
Note: I am working on planning the 59th Pacific Fisheries Technologists
meeting in San Francisco, during February 3-6, 2008. I will be offering
HACCP segment 2 as a post-conference course starting on the afternoon of
February 6 and ending in the afternoon of February 7, 2008. Please
contact me if you would like more information about PFT, or the HACCP
Segment 2 course (space is limited) in San Francisco.
Pamela Tom
University of California
Food Science and Technology Department
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616 USA
E-mail: pdtom@ucdavis.edu
Phone: 530/752-3837 Fax: 530/752-4759
Web: http://seafood.ucdavis.edu
________________________________
From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu] On
Behalf Of Richard Chivers
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 12:42 PM
To: seafood
Subject: Monitoring heavy metals
Where might I obtain information please on monitoring for the presence
of heavy metals in the environment, specifically as they may become a
contaminant of fish stocks such as swordfish.
Many thanks
Richard Chivers
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