Minnesota Food Safety Partnership
Seafood HACCP and Sushi
Aquaculture
Greg A. Abel
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Office of Regulatory Affairs
Minneapolis, Minnesota
What is Aquaculture?

Farming of aquatic
organisms
– Fin Fish
– Crustaceans
– Molluscan shellfish

Becoming an increasingly
important source for fish
– fastest growing form of global
food production

A long standing industry
– 2500 BC
U.S. Seafood Consumption

U.S. is the 3rd ranked fish
consuming country
– 4.82 billion pounds
– 84% imported [2010]
– ½ from aquaculture

Aquacultured seafood supplies
half the world’s demand
– China - largest producer
– U.S. - 10th largest producer
Top 5 Consumed Seafood in U.S.
(2009 edible weight)
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Shrimp
Canned Tuna
Salmon
Alaskan Pollock
Tilapia
Land Based Operations
e.g. Catfish, Tilapia, Shrimp
Shrimp Aquaculture
Mom-and-pop
Intensive farming
Ponds and Tanks
Trout Race Ways
Recirculation Tank Systems
Eel Farm
Molluscan Shellfish
Oyster Farm - Maine
Open Water Nets-Pens
Salmon, Tuna, Amberjack
Open Water Nets-Pens
Salmon
Open Water Submersible Nets
e.g. Tuna, Yellowtail, Amberjack
Open Water Submersible Cages
Deep Ocean Fish Ranching
‘Kona Blue’, Hawaiian company
raise and harvest Kona Kampachi®
• Yellowtail similar to amberjack
• Sashimi and sushi grade
Aquaculture Food Safety Concerns

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Antibiotic Residues
Chemical and Heavy Metal Contaminates
Pathogens (bacterial, viral)
Parasites
Marian Toxins
Good Aquaculture Practices

GAqP’s can improve the safety of foods by combining
limited inspection with on farm education and good
practices
– reduces the need for interventions, (i.e. drugs, rejection)
How does Aquaculture relate to
Retail Food Establishments
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Many fish susceptible and/or contain parasitic worms
To eliminate parasitic risk, the Food Code requires fish to
be frozen before served raw or undercooked
Exemptions
Parasite Destruction per Food Code

3-402.11……raw, raw marinated, partially cooked, or marinated
partially cooked fish shall be:
– Frozen and stored at a temperature of -4ºF or below for 168 hours (7
days) in a freezer; or
– Frozen at -31ºF or below until solid and stored at -31ºF for 15 hours
– Frozen at -31ºF or below until solid and stored at -4ºF or below for a
minimum of 24 hours

Exemptions:
– Tunas of the species Thunnus alalunga, Thunnus albacares, Thunnus
atlanticus, Thunnus maccoyii, Thunnus obesus, Thunnus thynnus,
– Molluscan Shellfish
– Fish eggs removed from skein
– Aquacultured Fish
2009
Feeding Aquacultured Fish

Feed that contains no live parasites infective to fish,
(i.e. formulated pellets, heat treated)
Feeding Aquaculture Fish
Records - GAqPs

Record and input information such as drugs, antibiotics,
chemicals, feed, vitamins, etc.
– written agreement/statement assures fish raised and feed with
non infected food (i.e. fresh fish)
Fish Eggs
Fish eggs with skein
Fish eggs removed from skein
USDA’s Aquaculture Involvement

Country of Origin Labeling [effective April 4, 2005]
– requires identification of wild or farm raised fish & shellfish,
(molluscan shellfish) at retail grocery stores
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FSIS Office of Catfish Programs [2008 Farm Bill]
– requires development of regulations for a science based, pond to
plate USDA inspection program for farm raised catfish
Minnesota Food Safety Partnership
Seafood HACCP and Sushi
Aquaculture