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SQMI Information Sheet 4 - Seafood and the Food Standards Code
Summary of regulations in Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the Food Standards Code relating to seafood products
| Test | Food Standards Code limits. |
|---|---|
| Microbiological standards
|
Ready-to-eat processed finfish, other than fully retorted finfish |
| Listeria monocytogenes /g (n=5, c=1, m=0, M=10 2) |
|
| Molluscs, other than scallops | |
| Escherichia col i /g (n=5, c=1, m=2.3, M=7) |
|
| Molluscs that have undergone processing other than depuration | |
| Listeria monocytogenes in 25g (n=5, c=0, m=0) |
|
| Cooked crustacea | |
| Coagulase pos. staphylococci /g (n=5, c=2, m=10 2, M=10 3) Listeria monocytogenes in 25g (n=5, c=0, m=0) Salmonell a in 25g (n=5, c=0, m=0) Standard plate count /g (n=5, c=2, m=10 5, M=10 6) |
|
| Raw crustacea | |
| Coagulase pos. staphylococci /g (n=5, c=2, m=10 2, M=10 3) Salmonella in 25g (n=5, c=0, m=0) Standard plate count /g (n=5, c=2, m=5x10 5, M=5x10 6) |
|
| Histamine levels | Fish and fish products |
| Level of histamine must not exceed 200 mg/kg |
|
| Shellfish toxins | Bivalve molluscs |
| Paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) – 0.8 mg/kg Amnesic shellfish poisons (domoic acid equivalents) – 20 mg/kg Diuretic shellfish poisons (okadaic acid equivalents) – 0.2 mg/kg |
|
| Heavy metals | Inorganic arsenic |
| Crustacea and fish – 2.0 mg/kg Molluscs – 1.0 mg/kg |
|
| Cadmium | |
| Molluscs (excluding dredge/bluff oysters and queen scallops) – 2 mg/kg |
|
| Lead | |
| Fish – 0.5 mg/kg
Molluscs – 2 mg/kg |
|
| Mercury | |
| Crustacea – mean level of 0.5 mg/kg Fish and fish products (excluding gemfish, billfish, southern bluefin tuna, barramundi, ling, orange roughy, rays and all species of shark) – mean level of 0.5 mg/kg Gemfish, billfish, southern bluefin tuna, barramundi, ling, orange roughy, rays and all species of shark – 1 mg/kg Molluscs – mean level of 0.5 mg/kg |
|
| Microbiological standards n means the minimal number of sample units which must be examined from a lot of food. c means the maximum allowable number of defective sample units). m means the acceptable microbiological level in a sample unit). M means the level when exceeded in one or more samples would cause the lot to be rejected). |
|
More information
Need more information? Supporting material can be found on the FSANZ website
For further information please contact:
SQMI Project Manager, WA Seafood Quality Management Initiative at the Department of Fisheries.
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