Establishment And Maintenance Of A Quality Assurance Reference Service For The Seafood Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$43,069.00
Summary
The market research conducted in the Quality Chooser project highlighted a number of specific problems.
· There is a high level of ignorance, doubt and uncertainty about food safety and quality . It must be said that food safety is both fundamental and critical in all quality systems, even those complex and internationally certified systems.
· This is a very complex topic, and information provided must cope with complacency, limited literacy , numeracy and technical knowledge.< ....The market research conducted in the Quality Chooser project highlighted a number of specific problems.
· There is a high level of ignorance, doubt and uncertainty about food safety and quality . It must be said that food safety is both fundamental and critical in all quality systems, even those complex and internationally certified systems.
· This is a very complex topic, and information provided must cope with complacency, limited literacy , numeracy and technical knowledge.
· Policy is in a state of flux with authorities reluctant to give prescriptive guidelines and industry demanding a clear statement of requirements.
· There is a wealth of relevant information available from overseas sources which is not reaching the industry.
The needs addressed by this proposal are:
(1) Access to data on which to base food safety plans. Food safety plans will be required by all food producers. The VFIF project will generate information on this subject needed by all industry sectors. Producers will still require detailed technical knowledge on which to plan improve and benchmark their systems.
(2) Current awareness service on global trends in HACCP policy. Seafood is traded on a global market. FPA is already being required of exporters. Overseas authorities are increasing the surveillance and enforcement on imports, particularly at the level of point of entry. Changes in policy will be noted, and clients will be notified.
(3) Negotiation of second party QA requirements or vendor supplier programmes. A number of major corporate buyers of seafood, including supermarket and hotel chains, have shown interest in developing QA schemes for their suppliers. Both suppliers and their customers can benefit from access to a body of accurate, relevant data on which to base their negotiations.
(4) Information to assist in adoption of internationally recognised QA systems and continuous improvement programmes. References on implementation, auditing, and system review. Objectives: 1. To establish and maintain a reference collection of material on seafood safety and quality. 2. To Collate and update the reference materials to be included in the SeaQual Packs 3. To provide detailed customised information packages on quality assurance on both products and processes in response to requests from clients. 4. To liaise with SeaQual on matters relating to quality management for the Seafood Industry Read moreRead less
Food Poisoning Associated With Consumption Of The Sydney Rock Oyster
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Construct a pilot oyster depuration plant. Carry out associated virological and physiological studies to determine optimum purification procedures
Objectives: 1. Collate data on contaminants in crustaceans for use in a submission to the National Food Authority to review the maximum permitted concentration of cadmium in crustaceans 2. Provide early warning and background information to industry and relevant government agencies on potential contaminant problems in crustaceans 3. Investigate seasonal variation in concentrations of cadmium as basis for possible catch-time management of some species of prawn
Workshops On Analytical Techniques For Trace Concentrations Of Heavy Metals In Marine Tissues
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Determine the most accurate, reliable and practicable techniques of measuring trace amounts of zinc, cadmium, lead, copper, arsenic, selenium and chromium in fish and other marine tissue
Seafood CRC: Australian Seafood Compositional Profiles Portal
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$149,889.98
Summary
INDUSTRY NEEDS Seafood CRC participants need a common platform that provides easy accessible baseline compositional profiles in suitable formats about their products to enable them to meet their individual needs. The establishment of a secure web based portal will assist industry in identifying and removing barriers to uptake of labeling requirements.
The information needs to be robust, consistent and cover the minimum needs of the Seafood CRC participants for nutritional and contam ....INDUSTRY NEEDS Seafood CRC participants need a common platform that provides easy accessible baseline compositional profiles in suitable formats about their products to enable them to meet their individual needs. The establishment of a secure web based portal will assist industry in identifying and removing barriers to uptake of labeling requirements.
The information needs to be robust, consistent and cover the minimum needs of the Seafood CRC participants for nutritional and contaminant information. Existing information held by individual Seafood CRC participants will be able to be housed in the web portal. Additional testing beyond that in this project would need to funded elsewhere.
Where there is a need to develop new analytical capability this will be done outside this project in the related methods development project.
The project will assist in meeting industry needs for: - Promoting the public health benefits of seafood consumption more generally. - Rapid access to credible information to counter negative media claims. - Assist in addressing current and future technical market challenges. - Anticipate and quickly respond to market access threats.
NATIONAL ENGAGEMENT Seafood CRC participants require an expert facilitated process to undertake this activity. The panel fulfils a need of industry to have an entry point into national and international processes undertaken by State and Commonwealth agencies. Without the project the loss of market access share in international markets such as Hong Kong (due to labelling requirements being introduced currently) would be commercially damaging. For example the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) "Proposal P293 - Nutrition, Health and Related Claims" could be implemented with no seafood industry input or through this project a process of engagement with Commonwealth regulators could be initiated to secure industry outcomes. There is a need for any data capture activities to be compliant with FSANZ technical specifications. Objectives: 1. To establish by March 2010 a common scientifically robust information platform that provides Seafood CRC participants with timely access to information about the nutritional and contaminant compositional profiles of their traded products. Read moreRead less
Quality And Safety Assurance In Marine Finfish Products - A Pilot Study
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$78,690.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. To identify key reservoir sites for L monocytogenes at processing plants and determine environmental and other factors which are likely to permit multiplication of these organisms on the fish and/or in the processing plant 2. To assess the efficiency of currently recommended hygiene and decontamination procedures 3. To determine prevalences of the parasite in fish of different ages and kept in different geographic sites 4. To correlate any observed variations ....Objectives: 1. To identify key reservoir sites for L monocytogenes at processing plants and determine environmental and other factors which are likely to permit multiplication of these organisms on the fish and/or in the processing plant 2. To assess the efficiency of currently recommended hygiene and decontamination procedures 3. To determine prevalences of the parasite in fish of different ages and kept in different geographic sites 4. To correlate any observed variations in prevalence with factors such as age of fish, presence of possible intermediate hosts in the environment, etc Read moreRead less
Rapid Technology For The Detection Of Food Poisoning Organisms In Commercial Shellfish
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. To develop relevant screening tests using modern molecular biology techniques, such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to detect common pathogens transmitted by commercial oysters and other shellfish. The screen would include: E.coli, Vibrio vulniffcus, Reoviruses and Adenovirus 2. Develop molecular biology techniques for the detection of specific viral pathogens which occur rarely or seasonally in commercial shellfish i.e. Hepatitis A virus, enteroviruses, rotavir ....Objectives: 1. To develop relevant screening tests using modern molecular biology techniques, such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to detect common pathogens transmitted by commercial oysters and other shellfish. The screen would include: E.coli, Vibrio vulniffcus, Reoviruses and Adenovirus 2. Develop molecular biology techniques for the detection of specific viral pathogens which occur rarely or seasonally in commercial shellfish i.e. Hepatitis A virus, enteroviruses, rotavirus and Nrowalk viruses 3. Develop molecular biology techniques to detect new Australian Norwalk viurses i.e. determine their genetic sequence and other physiochemical characteristics Read moreRead less
Research To Provide Data To Support Application For A Minor Use Permits For Chemicals Including Trichlorfon, Chlorine, Copper Sulfate, Hydrogen Peroxide, Benzylkonium Chloride For Control Of Disease Including White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) In Australian Prawn Farms.
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$81,800.00
Summary
The need for approved ag-vet chemicals was demonstrated during the response to the outbreak of the exotic pathogen white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in 2016. WSSV is one of a number of exotic pathogens that have caused severe economic impacts for prawn aquaculture internationally. Review of the response to WSSV highlighted the need to access a number of ag-vet chemicals for use in disease prevention and control programs that have been developed by Biosecurity Queensland and industry, in conjunct ....The need for approved ag-vet chemicals was demonstrated during the response to the outbreak of the exotic pathogen white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in 2016. WSSV is one of a number of exotic pathogens that have caused severe economic impacts for prawn aquaculture internationally. Review of the response to WSSV highlighted the need to access a number of ag-vet chemicals for use in disease prevention and control programs that have been developed by Biosecurity Queensland and industry, in conjunction with overseas experts. This application has been prepared to provide funds to commence generating the data required to support applications to the APVMA, seeking approval for minor-use of the highest priority ag-vet chemicals trichlorfon, sodium/calcium hypochlorite; hydrogen peroxide, copper sulfate and benzylkonium chloride that is needed to control crustacean disease vectors in water and on equipment.
There is limited published data on trichlorfon efficacy to kill Tiger prawns (Penaeus monodon), despite a range of data on efficacy in other species. The APFA completed Pre-application Assistance (PAA) from the APVMA for the use of trichlorfon to rapidly kill prawns and other crustacea in 2017. APVMA intially indicated that data to meet module 7.3 environmental fate and behaviour assessment and a module 8.1 efficacy assessment is required prior to lodgement of an application for the proposed trichlorfon use. Subsequently APVMA requested an application to be lodged with a complete public realm data set to consider. This data needs to be sourced and assembled. APVMA may request further data to be generated in response to the lodgement of the application which is proposed to be gathered under this project for trichlorfon, and potentially some of the other candidate chemicals.
Objectives: 1. Compile public domain data ready for submission to APVMA for trichlorfon MUP 2. Compile public domain data ready for submission to APVMA for hydrogen peroxide MUP 3. Compile data for copper sulfate, sodium and calcium hypochlorite and benzylkonium chloride to progress towards application-ready status 4. Collect field data to support trichlorfon use as advised by APVMA Read moreRead less
Investigation Of Mercury And Other Heavy Metal Contamination Of Shark And Other Commercial Marine Fish
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Determine levels of mercury and other heavy metals in samples of the edible flesh of the commercial shark species of SE Australia. 2. Correlate mercury levels with certain biological parameters in school & gummy sharks
Development Of Biological Tagging Techniques For Penaeid Prawns
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$75,734.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. To determine the potential of gene transfer as a method of tagging prawns 2. To determine whether trace element accumulation by prawns is specific to particular drainage basins 3. To determine the residence time of trace elements accumulated by prawns