Information for Fishery Products Establishments involved in the production of Fishery Products for export to the United States of America

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the USA is known to be stepping up its volume of inspections on a worldwide basis of food exporters to the United States. Here in the UK, and specifically to the seafood sector, there is a programme of inspections planned for fishery establishments, the first audits are already scheduled for September, and will focus on businesses in Scotland. It is likely that further visits may be undertaken later in 2011/12.

These inspections are aimed at verifying compliance of exporting food establishments with the FDA’s requirements and United States food safety standards.

For further information and some background to the FDA Foreign Food Inspection Programme please go to: http://www.fda.gov/Food/InternationalActivities/ucm196386.htm

Further general information on importing food products into the United States can be found here: http://www.fda.gov/Food/InternationalActivities/Imports/default.htm

The following information is intended to provide seafood businesses concerned in the export of fish and fishery products to the United States with easy access to relevant FDA guidance and Code of Federal Regulations. The documents provided are concerned in the general manufacture, packing and holding of food for human consumption; and additional specific HACCP and food safety regulations for fish and fishery products.

• A short overview of the UK fishery products inspection programme and it’s expected focus from Seafish.
  FDA_IB_SEAFISH.pdf
• The current FDA - Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance.
  fda seafood haccp guidance.pdf
  Note: On page 188 of the FDA Seafood HACCP Guide
  This document was corrected on August 3, 2011. The Agency corrected a typographical error appearing in the April 2011 version of this document. The Agency corrected "15%" to "1.5%" so that the sentence in "Chapter 11: Aquaculture Drugs" now reads "Sodium sulfite Used in a 1.5% solution for 5 to 8 minutes to treat eggs in order to improve their hatchability."
• Code of Federal Regulation: GMP in Manufacturing, Packing or Holding Food for Human Consumption.
  
  CFR110_GMP_Manufacture_Pack_Hold.pdf
• Code of Federal Regulation: Procedures for the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery Products.
  CFR123_Fish__Fishery_products.pdf

The Food Standards Agency in Scotland is liaising closely with the United States FDA in relation to this inspection programme in Scotland. Should you wish further information please contact:

Andrew Morrison, Senior Environmental Health Specialist, Tel: 01224 285196 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This email address will be monitored during periods when Andrew Morrison is out of the office.