- Laws of Fiji

Last Updated: 5 April 2019

11 Requirements of processing establishments — processing operations

(1) Instructions for raw material inspection, handling and storage procedures shall be documented. Records of delivery and product quality shall be kept to enable traceability of the products.

(2) During reception and unloading in the processing plant, the doors of the reception of the establishment shall be open for the minimum time possible.

(3) The vehicle shall be unloaded immediately after the approval of the batch. Fish shall never be stored in the vehicle whilst awaiting processing nor shall fish be left outside the establishment.

(4) Before unloading, each vehicle arriving at the establishment with fish for processing, shall be inspected to ensure that—

(a)the fish has not been exposed to detrimental climatic conditions; and
(b)other materials that could contaminate the fish are not carried together with the fish and fisheries products.

(5) Before unloading commences—

(a)a sample of fish shall be collected from the vehicle, and the internal temperature measured. The mean temperature shall be 0°C, and no fish shall have a temperature of more than 5°C for fresh fish and fisheries products. The temperature of brine frozen fish and fisheries products shall not be higher than −9°C.
(b)before unloading commences, a representative sample of each batch of fish shall be taken for sensory evaluation of smell and appearance.
(c)the quality control manager shall indicate his or her approval of the batch based on the results of the above test. He or she shall sign an inspection form and assign a batch code to the fish before the unloading of the vehicle commences.

(6) The initial stages of processing (washing of raw material, separation of extraneous material and gutting) shall commence as soon as possible after unloading the vehicle.

(7) Fish and fisheries products which are not processed immediately upon arrival at the establishment shall be washed with clean water at 0°C (if necessary), and stored with ice in suitable reception tanks or put in bins, iced and stored in a chill room.

(8) The storage of raw material shall comply with the following requirements—

(a)if more fish shall arrive at the establishment than can be processed immediately, the excess shall be stored in suitable tanks with ice and water, or alternatively be held in a chill storage room, in order that the temperature of the product is kept at 0°C;
(b)the evisceration of the fish shall be done carefully in order to avoid the contamination of the fish flesh;
(c)all products unfit for human consumption shall be removed and kept separately in the designated room;
(d)fish shall not be stored in heaps, and the depth of storage tanks shall be kept to a minimum to prevent damage. Tanks shall contain water before filling with fish in order to prevent damage;
(e)the duration of storage of raw material shall be kept to a minimum;
(f)the water contained in the storage tanks shall be changed at regular intervals during the storage period, and also between the storage of different batches of fish.

(9) Raw material shall be assessed for its freshness, physical soundness, sanitary soundness and temperature.

(10) The temperature of fish and fisheries products shall be taken on the level of the bone and under the skin to control whether the fish and fisheries products are in the condition of warming up or cooling down.

(11) When thawing is undertaken as part of the processing—

(a)the thawing method shall be clearly defined and shall address the time and temperature of thawing, temperature measuring instrument used and placement of device for measurement;
(b)the thawing process shall be carefully monitored;
(c)selection of the thawing method shall take into account in particular the thickness and uniformity of size of the products to be thawed;
(d)thawing time and temperature and fish temperature critical limits shall be selected so as to control the development of micro-organisms, histamine, where high risk species are concerned, and persistent and distinctive objectionable odours or flavours indicative of decomposition or rancidity;
(e)where water is used as the thawing medium, it shall be of potable quality;
(f)where recycling of water is used, care shall be taken to avoid the build-up of micro-organisms;
(g)where water is used, circulation shall be sufficient to produce even thawing;
(h)during thawing, according to the method used, products shall not be exposed to excessively high temperatures;
(i)particular attention shall be paid to controlling condensation and drip from the fish.
(j)an effective drainage system shall apply; and
(k)after thawing, fish shall be immediately processed or refrigerated.

(12) When washing and gutting an adequate supply of clean sea water or potable water shall be available for washing of—

(a)whole fish to remove foreign debris and reduce bacterial load prior to gutting;
(b)gutted fish to remove blood and viscera from the belly cavity;
(c)the surface of fish to remove any loose scales; and
(d)gutting equipment and utensils to minimise build-up of slime and blood and offal.

(13) To minimise time delays, the design of the filleting line and candling line, where applicable, shall be continuous and sequential to permit the uniform flow without stoppages or slowdowns and removal of waste.

(14) When trimming and filleting, an adequate supply of clean sea water or potable water shall be available for washing of—

(a)fish prior to filleting or cutting especially fish that have been scaled;
(b)fillets after filleting or skinning or trimming to remove any signs of blood, scales or viscera; and
(c)filleting equipment and utensils to minimise build-up of slime and blood and offal.

(15) For fillets to be marketed and designated as boneless, fish handlers shall employ appropriate inspection techniques and use the necessary tools to remove bones not meeting commercial specifications.

(16) The candling of skinless fillets by skilled personnel, in a suitable location which optimises the illuminating effect, is an effective technique in controlling parasites and shall be employed when implicated fish species are being processed.

(17) The candling table shall be frequently cleaned during operation in order to minimise the microbial activity of contact surfaces and the drying of fish residue due to heat generated from the lamp.