Seafood HACCP
While the term seafood is often only applied to saltwater fish this section of the Code of State Regulations (CSR) are actually applied to all fish and fishery products. Fish is defined as fresh or saltwater finfish, crustaceans, and other forms of aquatic animal life other than birds or mammals and all mollusks where such animal life is intended for human consumption. Fishery products is defined as any human food product in which fish is a characterizing ingredient. The CSR has adopted the section of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as the rule in Missouri.
This section of the CSR requires that any fish or fishery product processor comply with the current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs). In addition, every processor is required to perform a hazard analysis to determine whether there are food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur. If the analysis identifies likely food safety hazard the processor is required to develop a HACCP system to protect the food. HACCP is an acronym for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. A HACCP system is an approach to food safety that methodically looks for biological, chemical and physical hazards at each step of the preparation of a food. Once the hazards are determined, the system applies established practices to eliminate or reduce the hazards at the most critical points of the process. The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Food has outlined the seven principles used to develop HACCP plans.
Principles:
- Conduct a hazard analysis - the operator conducts a thorough look at each step of the process for biological, chemical and physical hazards.
- Determine critical control points (ccp) - the operator determines the points in the process where control of hazards is critical.
- Establish critical limits - the operator develops a standard which is used to distinguish between safe and unsafe food for each ccp.
- Establish monitoring procedures - the operator planned series of observations or measurements to tell whether the critical limit is under control.
- Establish corrective actions - a series of actions to be taken if the operator determines that the critical limit has not been maintained.
- Establish verification procedures - a plan of activities developed by the operator to assure that the HACCP system is being applied properly.
- Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures - collection and maintenance of the information necessary to prove the system is working properly.
Contact the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, at the District office office in your area to discuss the requirements if you are considering starting fish or fishery products processing operation. To see additional information for manufactured food regulations for more advanced processes use the links on the main Manufactured Food Program web page.