Food Safety And Quality Assurance For Cooked Prawns: Development And Evaluation Of A Framework For The Validation Of A Supply Chain Approach
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$29,724.00
Summary
International
Developments in the global trade of food have exposed primary producers to a new set of opportunities and risks that are best managed with risk assessment. Estimating ‘equivalence’ is now the process used to determine whether or not Australian products can penetrate foreign markets, and whether or not products produced abroad can penetrate Australian markets. This involves an appraisal of whether the imported product presents the same or lesser magnitude of human-health ri ....International
Developments in the global trade of food have exposed primary producers to a new set of opportunities and risks that are best managed with risk assessment. Estimating ‘equivalence’ is now the process used to determine whether or not Australian products can penetrate foreign markets, and whether or not products produced abroad can penetrate Australian markets. This involves an appraisal of whether the imported product presents the same or lesser magnitude of human-health risk as posed by the domestic product. Under the guidelines produced by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the assessment of equivalence demands the conduct of a food safety risk assessment by the importing country. A country can deny the entry of a product if it fails to meet the equivalence standard. Thus exporting nations require a pool of scientific expertise to conduct their own risk assessments and also to appraise the appropriateness of those produced by their trading partners.
National
At the domestic level, state food safety legislation and food standards are increasingly based on the risk assessment approach. It is timely, therefore, for industry to (develop and) validate an integrated supply chain approach to food safety that has international standing as a basis for meeting public health and trade access requirements.
This project will provide an objective, transparent and scientifically robust basis for the management of food borne hazards and shelf life in the prawn industry. We propose to conform to the internationally accepted approach for the conduct of food safety risk assessment that is promulgated by CODEX, FAO and WHO (Anon., 2002).
Industry
This is an opportunity to work at all levels of the supply chain to ensure the safe reputation that SGWCPFA prawns enjoy is confirmed and maintained by validated quality systems. While the project develops and pre-tests a framework to validate the production of cooked prawns produced under the APPA Code it will provide industry with applied recommendations on the value of routine microbiological monitoring to support other audit verification processes. Objectives: 1. Develop an approach designed to validate the APPA Code of Practice across the supply chain for cooked prawns as a model for crustacean industries 2. Benchmark industry performance criterion (i.e. quantify decrease/increase of indicator organisms) for cooking, freezing and preparation for retail (thawing, retail hygiene) processes 3. Benchmark industry product criteria (i.e. levels of food safety and shelf life microorganisms) across the supply chain to evaluate conformity with the ANZFA Food Standards Code. Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC160100025
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,259,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. This centre aims to create an innovation platform of food safety researchers and industry personnel who can significantly advance the safety of fruit and vegetables in Australia. The intended outcomes are safer food, leading to enhanced health and wellbeing; industry growth in the food/agribusiness sector; enhanced trust and international reputation; and increased a ....ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. This centre aims to create an innovation platform of food safety researchers and industry personnel who can significantly advance the safety of fruit and vegetables in Australia. The intended outcomes are safer food, leading to enhanced health and wellbeing; industry growth in the food/agribusiness sector; enhanced trust and international reputation; and increased access to growing export markets. Intended benefits to industry are ready-to-use technologies for strengthened food safety, and a new generation of highly-skilled food safety scientists with experience in conducting industry-focused research.Read moreRead less
SCRC: PhD : Protecting The Safety And Quality Of Australian Oysters Using Predictive Models Integrated With ‘Intelligent’ Cold Chain Technologies
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Molluscan shellfish are high-valued seafood products that require careful supply chain management to guarantee both product safety and quality. Together, storage time and temperature exert the greatest influence on microbial food safety and quality, and must be controlled during oyster processing, transport and storage. Vibrio species are a natural component of marine and estuarine environments, unlike faecal bacteria which are typically introduced into growing waters by land run-off. Consequent ....Molluscan shellfish are high-valued seafood products that require careful supply chain management to guarantee both product safety and quality. Together, storage time and temperature exert the greatest influence on microbial food safety and quality, and must be controlled during oyster processing, transport and storage. Vibrio species are a natural component of marine and estuarine environments, unlike faecal bacteria which are typically introduced into growing waters by land run-off. Consequently, it is prudent to assume that all live shellfish may potentially contain naturally-occurring Vibrio spp. These risks, including the quality of oysters, can be controlled by proper cold chain management. Improper cold chain handling may increase risk, decrease quality and ultimately affect value and the brand. The negative consequences can easily be spread across the entire industry. Thus, a proactive strategy is required to control and predict risk, with added benefits for maintaining product quality. This can be achieved through validated tools (models) that allow all stakeholders in the cold chain to monitor how conditions influence the safety and quality of oysters. The impact will include 1) improved product safety, 2) an optimised cold chain, 3) higher product quality, 4) greater access to export markets and 5) a more cooperative regulatory environment.Read moreRead less
A Technical Consultancy Service For The Australian Seafood Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Objectives: 1. Database of technology relevant to Aust seafood industry. 2. Disseminate information & prepare advice to inquiries ... Tactical research where knowledge is lacking. 3. Disseminate information about technology developments to industry sectors that could use them. Report on industry status & problem areas
SCRC: The SIPP Program - Connecting Early Career Researchers With The Australian Seafood Industry Through Meaningful Coaching Partnerships: Year 3
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Disconnection between research and commercial sectors are a real challenge for the seafood industry as a whole. This disconnection leads to lack of communication about research needs from industry and poor adoption of research outcomes. Consultation with industry has identified a need for more industry ready graduates who have a deeper understanding and connection with the Australian seafood industry and understand more thoroughly the nature and the challenges commercial facilities face in all f ....Disconnection between research and commercial sectors are a real challenge for the seafood industry as a whole. This disconnection leads to lack of communication about research needs from industry and poor adoption of research outcomes. Consultation with industry has identified a need for more industry ready graduates who have a deeper understanding and connection with the Australian seafood industry and understand more thoroughly the nature and the challenges commercial facilities face in all facets of their business.
In addition, there is a need to enhance two way communication and cooperation between industry and research providers. The CRC SIPP program will assist in improving that process by enabling opportunities for industry and researchers to understand each other’s views, challenges and promote better communication on ideas and projects.Read moreRead less
SCRC: The Australian Seafood Diet For Intergenerational Health: Development Of A Healthy High Australian Seafood Diet That Will Be Acceptable To Women Of Child-bearing Age.(PhD Student Lily Chan)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
For pregnant women, the current advice is to keep eating fish but to limit the intakes of orange roughy (Sea Perch), catfish shark, swordfish, marlin or broadbill to once a week or fortnight for the purposes of avoiding contaminants that may be damaging to the sensitive developing foetus. The net outcome of this communiqué may result in fewer women of childbearing age, those who are pregnant or those who wish to become pregnant from consuming fish or consuming inadequate amounts. It is highly ....For pregnant women, the current advice is to keep eating fish but to limit the intakes of orange roughy (Sea Perch), catfish shark, swordfish, marlin or broadbill to once a week or fortnight for the purposes of avoiding contaminants that may be damaging to the sensitive developing foetus. The net outcome of this communiqué may result in fewer women of childbearing age, those who are pregnant or those who wish to become pregnant from consuming fish or consuming inadequate amounts. It is highly important that this key group of consumers receive enough seafood to ensure that the developing foetus obtains adequate levels of DHA.
Therefore, this proposal targets a need in women of child bearing age, to determine if a diet high in DHA (providing an average of at least 200mg/d) obtained from Australian whole seafood (2-4 serves a week) can improve health-related outcomes (plasma phospholipid n-3 concentrations, inflammatory markers, insulin sensitivity, mood) when compared to a 6-week low DHA diet (30 mg/d) and will the diet be at an acceptable cost and without providing adverse levels of methyl mercury and PCBs.Read moreRead less
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
Australian Aquaculture - Practical Solutions To The Triple Bottom Line - A National Workshop
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$63,910.00
Summary
Federal and state legislation is increasingly demanding more stringent environmental controls on aquaculture activities and place the onus of proof for demonstrating environmental performance on the industry. In addition, regulation for and approval of aquaculture activities is increasingly directed through state EPAs. There is thus a regulatory imperative to defining the ESD sustainability indicators for the aquaculture industry.
Public perception of the industry as environmentally u ....Federal and state legislation is increasingly demanding more stringent environmental controls on aquaculture activities and place the onus of proof for demonstrating environmental performance on the industry. In addition, regulation for and approval of aquaculture activities is increasingly directed through state EPAs. There is thus a regulatory imperative to defining the ESD sustainability indicators for the aquaculture industry.
Public perception of the industry as environmentally unsustainable is often not substantiated by scientific fact, but can have a detrimental affect on aquaculture development through objections to individual aquaculture planning applications. A negative public perception can also enhance the influence of uninformed pressure groups on Government policy development. This is a constraint to future development of the whole industry.
To address these two issues, there is a clear need to identify the issues related to various aquaculture sectors and develop protocols and frameworks through which organisations can demonstrate their compliance with environmental objectives. What is required is a national framework and standards for assessing the environmental performance of aquaculture. Additionally, industry needs to be equipped with practical tools and solutions for dealing with these issues.
The Standing Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (SCFA) adopted an ESD framework for fisheries in 1998 and a FRDC/SCFA-funded project has undertaken a number of case studies using this framework. To date the focus of SCFA framework case studies has been on wild fisheries. This approach needs to be expanded to a broader range of stakeholders involved in aquaculture and fine-tuned to ensure it is appropriate for all aquaculture systems and sectors.
In addition, internationally benchmarked environmental management systems (such as ISO 14000) are options that should be explored to implement ESD frameworks and have already been developed for aquaculture sectors in other parts of the world (Gavine et al 1996, Boyd, 1999).
Advantages for the aquaculture industry in adopting the principles of ESD and documenting environmental performance include:
(1) Improved public perception of the industry; (2) Reduction in waste and improved efficiency at site level; (3) A competitive advantage in the market place if accreditation is used as a branding tool; and (4) Ability to effectively engage new Government policies (such as Tradeable Emissions Policies).
This workshop will be the first step in bringing together the stakeholders to identify issues and develop practical solutions that will allow the Australian aquaculture industry to continue to develop in a sustainable manner.
Boyd, C. 1999. The aquaculture industry must learn to deal effectively with environmental issues, beginning with recognising the role of the different players involved. World Aquaculture 30 (2):10. Gavine, F. M., Rennis, D. S. and Windmill, D. 1996. Implementing environmental management systems in the UK finfish aquaculture industry. J.C.I.W.E.M 10, October: 341-347. Objectives: 1. To identify practical solutions to ESD issues which will enable aquaculture organisations to develop in a sustainable and cost effective manner. 2. To develop an action plan that achieves a) standard auditing and reporting protocols for environmental performance of aquaculture operations within and ESD framework and b) adapts the existing SCFA ESD framework to incorporate the requirements of aquaculture operations. Read moreRead less