Description

·       The Product, After Any Suitable Preparation, Shall Be Subjected To A Freezing Process And Shall Comply With The Conditions Laid Down Hereafter. The Freezing Process Shall Be Carried Out In Appropriate Equipment In Such A Way That The Range Of Temperature Of Maximum Crystallization Is Passed Quickly. The Quick Freezing Process Shall Not Be Regarded As Complete Unless And Until The Product Temperature Has Reached -18°C Or Colder At The Thermal Center After Thermal Stabilization. The Product Shall Be Kept Deep Frozen So As To Maintain The Quality During Transportation, Storage And Distribution. Industrial Repacking Of Quick Frozen Products Under Controlled Conditions Which Maintain The Quality Of The Products Followed By The Reapplication Of The Quick Freezing Process Is Permitted.

·       Any Presentation Of The Product Shall Be Permitted Provided That It: Meets All Requirements Of This Standard; And Is Adequately Described On The Label To Avoid Confusing Or Misleading The Consumer.

ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS

·       Quick Frozen Finfish Shall Be Prepared From Sound Fish Which Are Of A Quality Fit To Be Sold Fresh For Human Consumption.

·       If Glazed, The Water Used For Glazing Or Preparing Glazing Solutions Shall Be Of Potable Quality Or Shall Be Clean Sea-Water. Potable Water Is Fresh-Water Fit For Human Consumption. Standards Of Portability Shall Not Be Less Than Those Contained In The Latest Edition Of The WHO “International Guidelines For Drinking Water Quality”. Clean Sea-Water Is Sea-Water Which Meets The Same Microbiological Standards As Potable Water And Is Free From Objectionable Substances.

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

·       The Products Shall Not Contain More Than 10 Mg/100 G Of Histamine Based On The Average Of The Sample Unit Tested. This Shall Apply Only To Species Of Clupeidae, Scombridae, Scombresocidae, Pomatomid And Coryphaenedae Families.

FOOD ADDITIVES

·       Antioxidants Used In Accordance With Tables 1 And 2 Of The General Standard For Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995) In Food Category 09.2.1 (Frozen Fish, Fish Fillets, And Fish Products, Including Mollusks, Crustaceans, And Echinoderms) And Its Parent Food Categories 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 (CAC/RCP 1-1969), The Code Of Practice For Fish And Fishery Products (CAC/RCP 52-2003), The Code Of Practice For The Processing And Handling Of Quick Frozen Foods (CAC/RCP 8-1976), 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 (CAC/GL 21-1997).

·       Shall Be Free From Microorganisms Or Substances Originating From Microorganisms In Amounts Which May Present A Hazard To Health In Accordance With Standards Established By The Codex Alimentarius Commission;

·       Shall Not Contain Histamine That Exceeds 20 Mg/100 G. This Applies Only To Species Of Clupeid, Scombridae, Scombresocidae, Pomatomid And Coryphaenedae Families.

·       Shall Not Contain Any Other Substance In Amounts Which May Present A Hazard To Health In Accordance With Standards Established By The Codex Alimentarius Commission.

LABELLING

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

·       N Addition To The Common Or Usual Name Of The Species, The Label, In The Case Of Eviscerated Fish, Shall Include Terms Indicating That The Fish Has Been Eviscerated And Whether Presented As “Head-On” Or “Headless”.

·       If The Product Has Been Glazed With Sea-Water, A Statement To This Effect Shall Be Made. The Term “Quick Frozen”, Shall Also Appear On The Label, Except That The Term “Frozen” May Be Applied In Countries Where This Term Is Customarily Used For Describing The Product Processed In Accordance With Subsection 2.2 Of This Standard.

·       The Label Shall State That The Product Should Be Maintained Under Conditions That Will Maintain The Quality During Transportation, Storage And Distribution.

·       Where The Food Has Been Glazed The Declaration Of Net Contents Of The Food Shall Be Exclusive Of The Glaze.

·       Information Specified Above Shall Be Given Either On The Container Or In Accompanying Documents, Except That The Name Of The Food, Lot Identification, And The Name And Address, As Well As Storage Instructions Shall Always Appear On The Container. However, Lot Identification, And The Name And Address May Be Replaced By An Identification Mark, Provided That Such A Mark Is Clearly Identifiable With The Accompanying Documents.

AMPLING, EXAMINATION AND ANALYSES

·       Sampling Of Lots For Examination Of The Final Product As Prescribed In Section 3.5 Shall Be In Accordance With An Appropriate Sampling Plan With An AQL Of 6.5. A Sample Unit Is The Individual Fish Or The Primary Container.

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

·       Sensory And Physical Examination Samples Taken For Sensory And Physical Examination Shall Be Assessed By Persons Trained In Such Examination And In Accordance With Procedures Elaborated In Sections 7.3, 7.4 And 7.5, Annex A And The Guidelines For The Sensory Evaluation Of Fish And Shellfish In Laboratories (CAC/GL 31 – 1999).

·       The Following Procedures Are Based On Heating The Product To An Internal Temperature Of 65-70°C. The Product Must Not Be Overcooked. Cooking Times Vary According To The Size Of The Product And The Temperatures Used. The Exact Times And Conditions Of Cooking For The Product Should Be Determined By Prior Experimentation.

·       Baking Procedure:-  Wrap The Product In Aluminum Foil And Place It Evenly On A Flat Cookie Sheet Or Shallow Flat Pan.

·       Steaming Procedure:- Wrap The Product In Aluminum Foil And Place It On A Wire Rack Suspended Over Boiling Water In A Covered Container.

·       Boil-In-Bag Procedure:- Place The Product Into A Boilable Film-Type Pouch And Seal. Immerse The Pouch Into Boiling Water And Cook.

·       Microwave Procedure:- Enclose The Product In A Container Suitable For Microwave Cooking. If Plastic Bags Are Used, Check To Ensure That No Odour Is Imparted From The Plastic Bags. Cook According To Equipment Specifications.

DEFINITION OF DEFECTIVES

·       Greater Than 10% Of The Surface Area Of The Block Or Greater Than 10% Of The Weight Of Fish In The Sample Unit Exhibits Excessive Loss Of Moisture Clearly Shown As White Or Yellow Abnormality On The Surface Which Masks The Colour Of The Flesh And Penetrates Below The Surface, And Cannot Be Easily Removed By Scraping With A Knife Or Other Sharp Instrument Without Unduly Affecting The Appearance Of The Fish.

·       The Presence In The Sample Unit Of Any Matter Which Has Not Been Derived From Fish (Excluding Packaging Material), 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 And Sanitation Practices.

·       A Sample Unit Affected By Excessive Gelatinous Condition Of The Flesh Together With Greater Then 86% Moisture Found In Any Individual Fish Or Sample Unit With Pasty Texture Resulting From Parasitic Infestation Affecting More Than 5% Of The Sample Unit By Weight.