Dar seafood ppp standard

Findings of other risk assessments

Lehane, in reviewing the public health implications of paralytic shellfish poisons, reported that scallops generally do not pose a public health threat because the adductor muscle does not accumulate toxins [16]. For abalone, Lehane reports the findings of Pitcher et al. [44] that the muscular foot made a low contribution to the total toxin content of abalone harvested during algal bloom events on the west coast of South Africa.

ANZFA [4], Sumner [9] and Ross and Sanderson [8] did not consider the risks due to algal toxins in abalone and roe-off scallop separately from other molluscan shellfish. Sumner noted the low proportion of domestic abalone production available for local consumption, as around 90 per cent is exported, and reported findings that algal toxins had been detected in abalone in Victoria and overseas.

Prawns

Prawns were ranked in the medium relative risk category due to arsenic, V. cholerae O1 and S. Typhi. The medium ranking reflects the severe nature of the adverse health effects potentially caused by these hazards and the effectiveness of current risk management strategies in reducing the likelihood of adverse health effects rating to ‘unlikely’.

The bacterial pathogens are hazards which might be present in the growing environment, particularly in aquaculture facilities stocked to high densities, or could be introduced through use of contaminated cooling water for prawns cooked on-board trawlers or at aquaculture sites. Arsenic is an unavoidable contaminant that may be present in the growing environment for prawns. The medium relative risk ranking for these hazards were not significantly affected by consideration of the form in which these crustacea are sold (raw or cooked).
Standard 1.4.1 – Contaminants and Natural Toxicants, of the Code contains a maximum level standard for arsenic in crustacea (2 mg/kg), set in response to the findings of the risk assessment ANZFA conducted as part of Proposal P157 – Contaminants in Foods – Metals [7]. The likelihood of illness due to arsenic in prawns meeting the requirements of Standard 1.4.1 is considered negligible.
Standard 1.6.1 – Microbiological Limits for Food includes microbiological limits for Salmonella in both cooked and raw crustacea. In addition, the User Guide to Standard 1.6.1 [59] includes additional non-mandatory guideline criteria for V. cholerae in cooked and raw crustacea. (When guideline criteria levels are exceeded it generally indicates a failure in food production or hygiene procedures, and alerts the processor and regulator that action should be taken to identify and remedy the problem.)