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Mussels

Generic HACCP Plan

  1. Product Description
  2. Flow Diagram
  3. Potential Hazards
  4. Hazard Analysis Worksheet
  5. HACCP Plan Form

1. Product Description

Aquatic Product Raw Material: Mussels (Modiolus spp., Mytilus spp., and/or Perna canaliculus)
Raw material harvest Area: California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska
Raw material received: Directly from harvester
Finished Product: Live mussels
Food additives, ingredients, processing aids: None
Shipping: Shipped in the firm's refrigerated trucks
Intended use: Consumed raw, steamed, or fully cooked
Intended consumers: General public

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2. Flow Diagram

Receiving Live shellstock are received directly from harvester in tagged bags. The mussels are harvested from approved waters. No aquaculture drugs are used.
|  
Raw material
storage
Mussels are processed immediately or stored dry in mechanically refrigerated coolers maintained below 50°F (10°C)
|  
Declumping Mussels are declumped mechanically or by hand
|  
Washing Mussels are washed with clean water
|  
Culling/Grading Dead and broken mussels are removed by hand. Mussels are hand graded by size. No food additives, ingredients, or processing aids are used.
|  
Packaging/ Labeling Mussels are placed in bags, and the bags are tagged.
|  
Finished Product
Cooling/Storage
Mussels are cooled and stored in mechanically refrigerated coolers which are maintained below 50°F (10°C)
|  
Ship Live mussels are shipped in refrigerated trucks and held below 50°F (10°C) during distribution

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3. Potential Hazards

  1. Potential species-related hazards for aquacultured mussels: (FDA's Draft Hazards and Controls Guide)
    1. Chemical contamination
    2. Natural toxins
    3. Food and color additives
    4. Aquaculture drugs
    5. Pathogens
  2. Potential process-related hazards for aquacultured mussels: (FDA's Draft Hazards and Controls Guide)
    1. Temperature abuse during raw material storage (pathogen growth)
    2. Temperature abuse during processing (pathogen growth)
    3. Temperature abuse during final cooling (pathogen growth)
    4. Temperature abuse during finished product storage (pathogen growth)
    5. Temperature abuse during shipping (pathogen growth)
    6. Metal inclusion
    7. Food and color additives
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4. Hazard Analysis Worksheet

(1)
Ingredient/ Processing Step
(2)
Potential Hazard Introduced or Controlled
(3)
Is the Potential Hazard Significant (Reasonably Likely to Occur - Yes/No)
(4)
Justification for Inclusion or Exclusion as a Significant Hazard (Consider the likelihood that the hazard would or would not be introduced, or intensified, or a hazard from a previous step can be controlled
(5)
Preventive Measure(s) for the significant Hazard from Column 3 (Existing plus additional, if needed)
(6)
Critical Control Point (Yes/No)
Receiving BIOLOGICAL
Pathogens
 
Yes
 
Pathogens may occur in the harvest area
 
Approved harvest area, proper product identification
 
Yes
CHEMICAL
Chemical contamination
 
Yes
 
Contamination with pesticides, toxic elements, radioactivity, and industrial chemicals has not occurred in the harvest area, but is a potential hazard.
 
Approved harvest area, proper product identification
 
Yes
CHEMICAL
Natural toxins
 
Yes
 
Natural toxins have occurred in the harvest area and are reasonably likely to occur again
 
Approved harvest area, proper product identification, (batch certification, if required)
 
Yes
CHEMICAL
Food and color additives
 
No
 
No food or color additives are used
 
N/A
 
No
CHEMICAL
Aquaculture drugs
 
No
 
No aquaculture drugs are used
 
N/A
 
No
PHYSICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
Raw material storage BIOLOGICAL
Pathogen growth
 
Yes
 
Pathogen growth may occur during temperature abuse
 
Proper storage temperature
 
Yes
CHEMICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
PHYSICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
Declumping BIOLOGICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
CHEMICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
PHYSICAL
Metal inclusion
 
No
 
Metal inclusion is not a potential problem in manual processing and is not reasonably likely to occur during mechanical processing
 
N/A
 
No
Washing BIOLOGICAL
Pathogen growth
 
No
 
Exposure to temperatures above 50°F (10°C) is minimal. Total exposure to temperatures above 50°F (10°C) is evaluated at finished product storage.
 
N/A
 
No
CHEMICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
PHYSICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
Culling/Grading BIOLOGICAL
Pathogen growth
 
No
 
Exposure to temperatures above 50°F (10°C) is minimal. Total exposure to temperatures above 50°F (10°C) is evaluated at finished product storage.
 
N/A
 
No
CHEMICAL
Food and color additives
 
No
 
No food or color additives are used
 
N/A
 
No
PHYSICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
Packaging/Labeling BIOLOGICAL
Pathogen growth
 
No
 
Exposure to temperatures above 50°F (10°C) is minimal. Total exposure to temperatures above 50°F (10°C) is evaluated at finished product storage.
 
N/A
 
No
CHEMICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
PHYSICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
Finished product storage BIOLOGICAL
Pathogen growth
 
Yes
 
Temperature abuse is unlikely to occur during final product cooling. Temperature abuse may occur during finished product storage. Total exposure to temperatures above 50°F (10°C) can be evaluated at this step.
 
Proper storage temperature, limited exposure to temperatures above 50°F (10°C)
 
Yes
CHEMICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
PHYSICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
Shipping BIOLOGICAL
Pathogen growth
 
Yes
 
Temperature abuse may occur during shipping.
 
Proper storage temperature
 
Yes
CHEMICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
PHYSICAL
None
 
No
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
No
Reviewed by:
Date:

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5. HACCP Plan Form

(1)
Critical Control Point (CCP)
(2)
Hazard
(3)
Critical Limits
of the
Preventive Measures
Monitoring (8)
Corrective Actions
(9)
Records
(10)
Verification
(4)
What
(5)
How
(6)
Frequency
(7)
Who
Receiving Chemical contamination Mussels must not be harvested from areas closed due to chemical contamination Shellfish tag Visual Each lot or batch Harvest supervisor Reject products that fail to meet critical limits Shellfish tag Daily record review
Natural toxins Mussels must not be harvested from areas closed due to contamination with natural toxins Shellfish tag Visual Each lot or batch Harvest supervisor Reject products that fail to meet critical limits Shellfish tag Daily record review
Mussels must be certified toxin-free (if required by a shellfish control agency). Certificate Visual Each lot or batch Harvest supervisor Reject products that fail to meet critical limits Certificate, if required Daily record review
Pathogens Mussels must not be harvested from areas closed due to contamination with pathogens Shellfish tag Visual Each lot or batch Harvest supervisor Reject products that fail to meet critical limits Shellfish tag Daily record review
Raw Material Storage Pathogen growth Storage temperatures do not exceed 50°F (10°C) Temperature Temperature recorder Continuous Shellstock supervisor Adjust thermostat Recorder chart Daily record review; thermometer calibration
Finished Product Storage Pathogen growth Storage temperatures do not exceed 50°F (10°C) Temperature Temperature recorder Continuous Shellstock supervisor Adjust thermostat Recorder chart Daily record review; thermometer calibration
Total exposure of mussels to temperatures above 50°F (10°C) does not exceed 4 hours Temperature Temperature recorder Continuous Shellstock supervisor Destroy Recorder chart Daily record review; thermometer calibration
Shipping Pathogen growth Storage temperatures do not exceed 50°F (10°C) Temperature Temperature log Every 2 hours Driver Adjust thermostat Temperature log Daily record review; thermometer calibration
Reviewed by:
Date:

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The author is Robert J. Price, Extension Specialist, Seafood Products, Food Science & Technology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-8598

UCSGEP 96-6W; May 1996

This work is sponsored in part by NOAA, National Sea Grant College Program, Department of Commerce, under grant number NA36RG0537, project number A/EA-1, through the California Sea Grant College Program, and in part by the California State Resources Agency. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for governmental purposes.


Affirmative Action Statement

Send comments to rjprice@ucdavis.edu
Sea Grant

Updated: 07/18/07

Update Log

Pamela D. Tom, SeafoodNIC Director
Background profile

Sea Grant Extension Program
Food Science & Technology Department
University of California
One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616

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