Salmon, Vacuum Packed Hot Smoked
Generic HACCP Plan
Updated 7/15/02
1. Process Description
Salmon are caught in set nets, which are positioned near the shoreline. The fish are held on ice in the round (whole, uneviscerated) until delivery to the processing plant, usually within a few hours of harvest. At the processing facility, the raw material is placed into totes, iced and placed in a cooler until needed for processing.
The totes are brought from the cooler into the processing area where they are placed onto a tote dumper that lifts the tote and dumps the product into a hopper. As needed, the hopper door is opened, and the fish flow onto a table. An employee aligns the fish toward an automatic header and eviscerator. After heading and eviscerating, the fish are transported via a conveyor belt to a table where employees fillet the fish. Employees at the end of the fillet line check for bones and inadequate evisceration, sort by size and place the fillets into a brine solution. These fish are brined for 24 hours under refrigeration to achieve the desired water-phase salt content.
After brining, the brine tanks are drained. The fillets are rinsed and placed onto racks for surface drying prior to smoking. Drying takes approximately four hours and is performed under refrigeration. After drying, the racks are rolled into the smoking/cooling unit. The fish are hot smoked for approximately six hours.
After smoking, the racks are removed from the unit and rolled into the cooler. Employees remove the smoked salmon from the racks and place them into prelabeled packages. The packages are vacuum sealed and then placed into 25-pound boxes. The boxes are palletized and stored in a cooler until distributed.
2. Flow Diagram
| Fish Delivery | Receiving Salt | |
|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| Totes Iced | Dry Salt Storage | |
| | | | | |
| Cooler Storage | | | |
| | | | | |
| Tote Dumper | | | |
| | | | | |
| Hopper | | | |
| | | | | |
| Header/Eviscerator | | | |
| | | | | |
| Filleting | | | |
| | | | | |
| Brining | <––– | Fish are brined for 24 hours under refrigeration to achieve the desired water-phase salt content. |
| | | ||
| Rinsing | ||
| | | ||
| Drying | ||
| | | ||
| Smoking/Cooking | Fish are hot smoked for approximately six hours. | |
| | | ||
| Cooling | ||
| | | ||
| Vacuum Packaging/Labeling | The packages are vacuum sealed. | |
| | | ||
| Boxing | ||
| | | ||
| Cooler Storage | The boxes are palletized and stored in a cooler until distributed. |
3. Hazard Analysis Worksheet
| Firm Name: ABC Smoked Salmon Company | Product Description: Dried shrimp in cloth sacks | ||||
| Firm Address: Anywhere, USA | Storage and Distribution: Dry storage, unrefrigerated | ||||
| Intended Use and Consumer: Ready-to-eat without further processing | |||||
| (1) Ingredient/ processing step. |
(2) Identify potential hazards introduced, controlled or enhanced at this step (1). |
(3) Are any potential food-safety hazards significant? (Yes/No) |
(4) Justify your decision for column 3. |
(5) What control measure(s) can be applied to prevent the significant hazards? |
(6) Is this step a critical control point? (Yes/No) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Delivery | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen contamination |
Yes |
Raw seafood can be natural sources for pathogens. | Hazards is controlled at the smoking/cooking step. |
No |
| BIOLOGICAL Parasites |
Yes |
Parasites occur in wild-caught fish. | Hazards is controlled at the smoking/cooking step. |
No |
|
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|||||
| Totes Iced | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen growth |
No |
Period of time at this location is short. |
|
|
| BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen contamination |
No |
SSOP. | |||
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cooler Storage | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen growth |
Yes | Temperature abuse can allow the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. | Hazard is controlled at the smoking/cooking step. |
No |
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Tote Dumper | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen growth |
No |
Period of time at this location is short. | |
|
| BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen contamination |
No |
SSOP. | |
|
|
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Hopper | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen growth |
No | Period of time at this location is short. | ||
| BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen contamination |
No |
SSOP. | |||
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Header/Eviscerator | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogens including C. botulinum |
Yes | Raw seafood can be a natural source of pathogens. | Hazard is controlled at the cooking step, which is based on a high initial load of C. botulinum. | No |
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL Metal fragments. |
No | Subsequently brining and rinsing will remove any metal fragments; little opportunity for any metal to become embedded into the flesh of fish. No historical problem. | |
|
|
| Filleting | |||||
| BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen growth |
No | Period of time at this location is short. | |
|
|
| BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen contamination |
No |
SSOP. | |||
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|||
| Salt Receiving | |||||
| BIOLOGICAL None |
|
|
|||
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Brining | BIOLOGICAL C. botulinum growth and toxin production in finished product |
Yes | Salt content in the flesh in combination with the smoke and heat treatment is necessary to control growth. | Proper brining. |
Yes |
| BIOLOGICAL Other bacterial pathogens |
Yes | Salt content in the flesh is insufficient to inhibit growth. | Hazard is controlled at the smoking/cooking step. |
No |
|
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Rinsing | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen growth |
No | Period of time at this location is short. | |
|
| BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen contamination |
No |
SSOP. | |||
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Drying | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen |
Yes | Salt content in the flesh is insufficient to inhibit growth. | Hazard is controlled at the smoking/cooking step. |
No |
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Smoking/cooking | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogen survival |
Yes | Adequate cook is necessary to inactivate the bacterial pathogens in the raw materials and introduced during processing. | Proper smoking/cooking. |
Yes |
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cooling | BIOLOGICAL Pathogen recontamination |
No | Controlled by SSOPs. | |
|
| BIOLOGICAL C. bot. type E growth |
No | Combination of salt and inhibitors from smoke. | |||
| BIOLOGICAL C. bot type A growth |
No | Length of time necessary to grow is not reasonably likely to occur. | |||
| BIOLOGICAL Growth of other pathogens |
No |
Length of time necessary to grow is not reasonably likely to occur. | |||
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Vacuum Packaging/Labeling | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogens introduced during packaging/labeling |
No | Controlled by SSOPs. | |
|
| BIOLOGICAL Growth of proteolytic C. bot. |
Yes | Severe temperature abuse can allow growth during subsequent distribution and storage. | Appropriate label statement regarding importance of refrigeration. Include time temperature integrator label or recorder. |
Yes |
|
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|||
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Boxing | BIOLOGICAL Bacterial pathogens |
No | Period of time at this location is short. | |
|
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cooler Storage | BIOLOGICAL Proteolytic C. botulinum growth |
Yes | C. botulinum can grow if not refrigerated. | Proper refrigeration and time temperature integrator labels or recorders. |
Yes |
| CHEMICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHYSICAL None |
|
|
|
|
|
4. HACCP Plan Form
| Firm Name: ABC Smoked Salmon Co. | Product Description: Smoked salmon | ||||||||
| Firm Address: Anywhere, USA | Storage and Distribution: Refrigeration | ||||||||
| Intended Use and Consumer: Ready-to-eat without further processing | |||||||||
| (1) Critical Control Point (CCP) |
(2) Significant Hazard(s) |
(3) Critical Limits for each Control Measures |
Monitoring | (8) Corrective Action(s) |
(9) Verification |
(10) Records |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (4) What |
(5) How |
(6) Frequency |
(7) Who |
||||||
| Brining | C. botulinum toxin production in the finished product. | Minimum 24-hour soaking time. | Time in brine. |
Visual time checks. |
Each batch before removing fish. | Production employee. |
Hold longer in brine solution. |
Daily review record. |
Processing record. |
| Minimum salt content of 60° salometer at start of process. | Salt content of brine. | Salometer. | Each batch at start of process. | Quality-control person. | Add salt. |
Study showing brining method provides at least 3.5 percent water phase salt. | Processing record. | ||
| Minimum 2:1 ratio of brine to fish (weight to weight). | Weight of fish and brine. | Weight of fish (scale). Weight of brine (calibrated mark on tank). |
Each batch. | Production employee. | Adjust amount of fish or brine. | Quarterly finished product analysis for water phase salt. | Processing record. | ||
|
Explanatory Note: In many cases it will be necessary to control the drying step to achieve the desired water-phase salt content in finished product. |
|||||||||
| Smoking/Cooking | Bacterial pathogen survival | Minimum internal temperature of fish at 145°F for 30 minutes. | Fish internal temperature and time. | Thermocouple probes in the three thickest fish in the coldest part of oven. | Continuous with visual check at the end of each batch. | Smoker operator. | Recook, destroy, or hold product and evaluate. | Daily record review. Study identifying cold spot in the smoker. Calibration of the recording device at the beginning and end of each day. Quarterly testing of water phase salt content. |
Thermocouple recording chart. |
| Vacuum/Packing Labeling | Growth of proteolytic C. botulinum in prolonged product. | Presence of appropriate label statement. |
Product label. |
Visual. | Pre-operational checks. | Packing supervisor. | Reject packages without label statement and replace with appropriate packages. | Weekly record review. | Pack room log. |
| Presence of time temperature integrator labels (TTI's). | TTI's present and activated. | Visual. | Every package. | Quality-control person. | Hold and evaluate packages without TTI's; place and activate proper TTI's. | Daily record review. | |||
| Cooler Storage | Pathogen growth and potential toxin production | Maximum cooler temperature of 40°F > 2 hours. | Cooler temperature and exposure time. TTI color changes. |
Recorder thermometer and TTI visuals daily. | Record continuously; check chart every 12 hours and TTI's. | Quality-control person. | Readjust cooler thermostat. Hold and evaluate based on time and temperature of exposure. |
Daily record review and weekly calibration of recording thermometer. | Cooler temperature chart and pack room record. |
|
Explanatory note: TTI's would accompany the products until they are opened to atmospheric conditions that prevent C. botulinum growth. |
|||||||||
| Signature of Company Official: | Date: | ||||||||
Seafood HACCP Alliance for Education and Training. 2001. HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Training Curriculum. Available from: UF/IFAS-Extension Bookstore, P.O. Box 110011, Gainesville, FL 32611-0011.
Adapted by Pamela D. Tom (Program Representative) and Robert J. Price (Extension Specialist, Seafood Products) Food Science & Technology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-8598
UCSGEP 02-4W; July 2002
This work is sponsored in part by NOAA, National Sea Grant
College Program, Department of Commerce, under grant number NA06RG0142, 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
 |
Updated: 07/18/07 Update Log |
Pamela D. Tom,
SeafoodNIC Director Sea Grant Extension Program |
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