FDA Issues Updated Seafood Safety Guidelines

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the availability of
updated safety standard guidelines for the seafood industry. The 476-page
document “supports and complements FDA’s regulations for the safe and
sanitary processing and importing of fish and fishery products using hazard
analysis and critical control point (HACCP) methods” required of commercial
seafood processors.

The revised guidance provides current information on (i) “potential hazards
associated with the known commercial species of vertebrate and invertebrate
seafood,” (ii) “potential hazards associated with certain processing operations,”
(iii) “HACCP strategies that may be used to control the potential hazards,” and
(iv) “other information related to food safety.” See Federal Register, April 28,
2011.