Dar seafood ppp standard

2. Introduction

This report draws on a number of risk assessments that have been undertaken on Australian seafood in recent times. For example, the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) undertook risk assessments of contaminants and microbiological hazards associated with seafood as part of its review of the Code in 1999 [4–7]. These assessments informed the establishment of various standards applying to seafood, including those specifying microbiological limits and maximum levels of contaminants. More recently, risk assessments and risk profiling covering many seafood commodity/hazard combinations have been commissioned by Seafood Services Australia Ltd (SSA) and Safe Food Production New South Wales (SafeFood NSW) [8–10].

In addition, a number of international risk assessments of seafood have been conducted, focusing particularly on Vibrio species and Listeria monocytogenes [11–13]. These and other assessments [14–16] have sought to identify and assess the risk associated with specific commodity/hazard combinations.
The goal of this risk ranking document is to provide a broader comparative overview of risks associated with seafood in Australia, with the purpose of identifying higher-risk industry sectors and commodity groups.
In compiling this risk ranking document, a wide range of scientific literature and information from Australia and overseas (including the risk assessments mentioned above) was reviewed and evaluated. The evaluation identified key hazards and assessed where in the seafood production and processing supply chain these food safety hazards might be introduced, increased, reduced or eliminated. This latter information is presented in Appendix 1 as important background information for risk managers.
To the extent possible within the scope and purpose, the principles for conducting risk assessment outlined in Working Principles for Risk Analysis for Application in the Framework of the Codex Alimentarius [3], as adopted at the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, were followed in the conduct of this risk ranking exercise.
The scope, purpose and form of output of this risk ranking are defined, and the extent to which the four steps of risk assessment have been incorporated is described, in Section 1. All available relevant quantitative and qualitative data have been taken into account, including information relating to through-chain factors impacting upon the relative level of risk. Constraints and uncertainties impacting on the process are described, along with the assumptions underpinning the comparative risk rankings. The risk rankings are presented in a format designed to help risk managers make informed decisions regarding strategies for risk minimisation.