Description

·       Canned Shrimp Is The Product Prepared From Any Combination Of Species Of The Families Penaeidae, Pandalidae, Crangonidae And Palaemonidae From Which Heads, Shell, Antennae Have Been Removed.

·       Canned Shrimp Are Packed In Hermetically Sealed Containers And Shall Have Received A Processing Treatment Sufficient To Ensure Commercial Sterility.

·       Peeled Shrimp :- Shrimp Which Have Been Headed And Peeled Without Removal Of The Dorsal Tract;

·       Cleaned Or De-Veined :- Peeled Shrimp Which Have Had The Back Cut Open And The Dorsal Tract Removed At Least Up To The Last Segment Next To The Tail. The Portion Of The Cleaned Or De-Veined Shrimp Shall Make Up 95% Of The Shrimp Contents;

·       Broken Shrimp :- More Than 10% Of The Shrimp Contents Consist Of Pieces Of Peeled Shrimp Of Less Than Four Segments With Or Without The Vein Removed;

·       Is Sufficiently Distinctive From Other Forms Of Presentation Laid Down In This Standard; 

·       Meets All Other Requirements Of This Standard; 

·       Is Adequately Described On The Label To Avoid Confusing Or Misleading The Consumer.

ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS

·       The Packing Medium And All Other Ingredients Used Shall Be Of Food Grade Quality And Conform To All Applicable Codex Standards.

FOOD ADDITIVES

·       Acidity Regulators, Colours, And Sequestrants Used In Accordance With Tables 1 And 2 Of The General Standard For Food Additives (CXS 192-1995) In Food Category 09.4 (Fully Preserved, Including Canned Or Fermented Fish And Fish Products, Including Mollusks, Crustaceans, And Echinoderms) And Only Certain Table 3 Acidity Regulators As Indicated In Table 3 Of The General Standard For Food Additives (CXS 192-1995) Are Acceptable For Use In Foods Conforming To This Standard. 

HYGIENE

·       It Is Recommended That The Products Covered By The Provisions Of This Standard Be Prepared And Handled In Accordance With The Appropriate Sections Of The General Principles Of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969), Code Of Practice For Fish And Fishery Products (CXC 52-2003), Code Of Hygienic Practice For Low-Acid And Acidified Low-Acid Canned Foods (CXC 23-1979) And Other Relevant Codex Codes Of Hygienic Practice And Codes Of Practice.

·       The Products Should Comply With Any Microbiological Criteria Established In Accordance With The Principles And Guidelines For The Establishment And Application Of Microbiological Criteria Related To Foods (CXG 21-1997).

LABELLING

·       In Addition To Provisions Of The General Standard For The Labelling Of Prepackaged Foods (CXS 1-1985), The Following Specific Provisions Apply:

·       The Name Of The Product As Declared On The Label Shall Be “Shrimp”, Or “Prawns”, And May Be Preceded Or Followed By The Common Or Usual Name Of The Species In Accordance With The Law And Custom Of The Country In Which The Product Is Sold And In A Manner Not To Mislead The Consumer.

SAMPLING, EXAMINATION AND ANALYSES

·       Sampling Of Lots For Examination Of The Final Product As Prescribed In Section 3.3 Shall Be In Accordance With An Appropriate Sampling Plan With An AQL-6.5.

·       Sampling Of Lots For Examination Of Net Weight And Drained Weight Shall Be Carried Out In Accordance With An Appropriate Sampling Plan Meeting The Criteria Established By The CAC.

·       Weigh The Unopened Container; 

·       Open The Container And Remove The Contents;

·       Weigh The Empty Container, (Including The End) After Removing Excess Liquid And Adhering Meat;

·       Subtract The Weight Of The Empty Container From The Weight Of The Unopened Container. The Resultant Figure Will Be The Net Content.

·       Maintain The Container At A Temperature Between 20C And 30C For A Minimum Of 12 Hours Prior To Examination;

·       Open And Tilt The Container To Distribute The Contents On A Pre-Weighed Circular Sieve Which Consists Of Wire Mesh With Square Openings Of 2.8 Mm X 2.8 Mm;

·       Incline The Sieve At An Angle Of Approximately 17-20 And Allow The Shrimps To Drain For Two Minutes, Measured From The Time The Product Is Poured Into The Sieve;

·       Weigh The Sieve Containing The Drained Shrimps;

DEFINITION OF DEFECTIVES

·       The Presence In The Sample Unit Of Any Matter, Which Has Not Been Derived From Shrimp, Does Not Pose A Threat To Human Health, And Is Readily Recognized Without Magnification Or Is Present At A Level Determined By Any Method Including Magnification That Indicates Non-Compliance With Good Manufacturing Or Sanitation Practices

·       Excessive Mushy Flesh Uncharacteristic Of The Species In The Presentation;

·       Excessively Tough Flesh Uncharacteristic Of The Species In The Presentation.