This table is an example of a portion of a HACCP plan relating to the control of scombrotoxin formation for a canned tuna processor, using histamine testing. It is provided for illustrative purposes only. Histamine formation may be only one of several significant hazards for this product.
Updated: 7/24/98
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) |
| Critical Control Point (CCP) | Significant Hazard(s) | Critical Limits for each Preventive Measure | Monitoring | Corrective Action(s) | Records | Verification | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What | How | Frequency | Who | ||||||
| Receiving - frozen tuna | Scombrotoxin formation | Less than 50 ppm histamine in all fish in the sample | Fish flesh for histamine content | Histamine analysis of 1 fish per ton if fish are 20 lbs. or more each and 2 fish per ton if fish are less than 20 lbs. each fish in each incoming lot | Every lot | Quality assurance staff | Subdivide lot and re-examine portions of the lot for histamine. Reject portion of the lot if any fish in the portion is 50 ppm or greater | Reports of analysis | Review monitoring, corrective action and verification records within one week of preparation |
| No more than 3 decomposed fish (persistent and readily perceptible) in a 118 fish sample | Amount of decomposition in incoming lot | Sensory analysis | 118 fish in every lot | Quality assurance staff | Reject lot | Quality Assurance Record | |||
| Thawing | Scombrotoxin formation | For fish that have been frozen for 24 weeks or more: no more than 12 hours cumulative time for thawing and butchering | Length of frozen storage | Information from harvest or transport vessel | Every lot received | Receiving supervisor | Make adjustments to the thawing process | Receiving record | Review monitoring and corrective action records within one week of preparation |
| Time of product exposure to unrefrigerated conditions during thawing | Visual observation of marked product | Start marked product at start of every thawing operation | Quality assurance staff | Analyze representative sample of lot for histamine. Divert to non-food use if any unit is 50 ppm or greater | Processing record | ||||
| For fish that have been frozen for less than 24 weeks: no more than 4 hrs. cumulative time for thawing and butchering | Time of product exposure to unrefrigerated conditions during thawing | Visual observation of marked product | Start marked product at start of every thawing operation | Quality assurance staff | Same | Processing record | Same | ||
| Butchering | Scombrotoxin formation | For fish that have been frozen for 24 weeks or more: no more than 12 hours cumulative time for thawing and butchering | Length of frozen storage | Information from harvest or transport vessel | Every lot received | Receiving supervisor | Move product to cooler and hold | Receiving record | Review monitoring and corrective action records within one week of preparation |
| Time of product exposure to unrefrigerated conditions during butchering | Visual observation of marked product | Start marked product at start of every thaw process | Quality assurance staff | Analyze representative sample of lot for histamine. Divert to a non-food use if any unit is 50 ppm or greater. | Processing record | ||||
| For fish that have been frozen for less than 24 weeks: no more than 4 hrs. cumulative time for thawing and butchering | Time of product exposure to unrefrigerated conditions during butchering | Visual observation of marked product | Start marked product at start of every thaw process | Quality assurance staff | Same | Processing record | Same | ||
FDA. 1998. Scombrotoxin (Histamine) Formation (A Chemical Hazard). Ch. 7, In Fish and Fishery Products Hazards & Controls Guide: Second Edition. 73-90. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Seafood, Washington, DC.
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Updated: 07/18/07 Update Log |
Pamela D. Tom,
SeafoodNIC Director Sea Grant Extension Program |
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