Food and Fertilizer Technology Center - News

The world-famous Japanese sushi requires freshness and obviously safe raw fishes in its preparation. Since 2001, the Japanese government has imposed a labeling requirement as well as processing and storage standards for the local seafood market.

The recent spate of foodborne diseases and the increasing number of food poisoning cases due to fish products have led seafood manufacturers and those working in the fishery business to look seriously at the issue of seafood safety.

　In the recently concluded seminar entitled "An Appropriate System for High Quality and Safe Seafood Production in the Asian and the Pacific," 13 seafood experts from nine countries reported on how their respective industry players are handling the prevention of pre- and post-production related risks as well as the establishment of a measuring standard for seafood safety and quality.

　The measuring standards include Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and traceability. The seafood experts, who attended the FFTC and Kasetsart University sponsored seminar in Bangkok, Thailand all agreed that the understanding of international and regional seafood safety legislation pertinent for new requirements for trade are very critical in the framing of a comprehensive yardstick for high quality and safe seafood production. In fact, all over the Asian and the Pacific region, the quest for seafood safety remains to be an uphill climb.

To read the full article, go to our publications database and click on Newsletter 178