4 replies to this topic

[Esther]

Hello everybody

I would like to set a question and it to be also answered by a Tuna/ALbacore/MAhi company with a BRC certificate or by a BRC auditor.

This is about European Regulation 2073/2005, chapter 1 and particularly in reference to the sampling plan for hsitamine analysis.
What are the industries really doing or are asked to do ? Are they taken 9 samples/lot irrespective of the lot size? irrespective of whether the lot is raw fish or butchered/packaged tuna loins ( for example )?

To do that in a medium-small company or for small lots ( <8000 Kg ) is profitable? I am thinking about her cost of the analysis plus the costs from product destruction.

is there another way of doing it and still comply with the regulations ?

What are the public health officers asking for? do they allow to take less samples than 9 for small lots ?

I would be nice to know what other country within Europe are doing.

Thank you

Regards
Esther

[Simon]

Hello everybody

I would like to set a question and it to be also answered by a Tuna/ALbacore/MAhi company with a BRC certificate or by a BRC auditor.

This is about European Regulation 2073/2005, chapter 1 and particularly in reference to the sampling plan for hsitamine analysis.
What are the industries really doing or are asked to do ? Are they taken 9 samples/lot irrespective of the lot size? irrespective of whether the lot is raw fish or butchered/packaged tuna loins ( for example )?

To do that in a medium-small company or for small lots ( <8000 Kg ) is profitable? I am thinking about her cost of the analysis plus the costs from product destruction.

is there another way of doing it and still comply with the regulations ?

What are the public health officers asking for? do they allow to take less samples than 9 for small lots ?

I would be nice to know what other country within Europe are doing.

Anyone have experience on this you want to share with Esther?

Cheers,
Simon

[Simon]

Hi Esther,

I cannot answer your question, but have been researching the subject and found some interesting documents/links?

Guidance on the practical implementation of the EU regulation on the microbiological criteria for foodstuffs (PDF 1.8mb)

HACCP plan relating to the control of scombrotoxin formation for a canned tuna processor, using histamine testing

Performance of Histamine Test Kits for Applications To Seafood

Histamine Test Kit Comparison

Regards,
Simon

[Esther]

Hi Esther,

I cannot answer your question, but have been researching the subject and found some interesting documents/links?

Guidance on the practical implementation of the EU regulation on the microbiological criteria for foodstuffs (PDF 1.8mb)

HACCP plan relating to the control of scombrotoxin formation for a canned tuna processor, using histamine testing

Performance of Histamine Test Kits for Applications To Seafood

Histamine Test Kit Comparison

Regards,
Simon

Hello Simon

Thank you very much for your answer.

What I have found out so far about what is happening, at least, on my area is the following: the official authorities are not looking for the number of samples as long you are doing it, I mean, histamine analysis. The authorities who have doing it just the way the regulation states are those working in the traiding ports.

What I have done is to set a number of samples regarding the size of the lot at reception. And also we carry out histamine analisys on the semielaborated product every day.

Regards

Esther

[Simon]

Thank you for the update Esther, I appreciate it.

Anyone else got a comment on Histamine in fish?

Regards,
Simon