18 AAC 31.810. Retail seafood products

(a) In addition to the other applicable requirements of this chapter, an operator of a market who offers seafood products for retail sale shall comply with this section.

(b) The operator shall ensure that, in addition to the applicable requirements of 18 AAC 31.060, labels on packaged seafood include

(1) the date of packing;

(2) the name of the seafood product for which a definition and standard of identity are included in The Seafood List, FDA's Guide to Acceptable Market Names for Seafood Sold in Interstate Commerce, adopted by reference in 18 AAC 31.011, or the usual name of the seafood product for which a definition and standard of identity are not included in that document; and

(3) for an imitation seafood product, the word "imitation", followed by the name of the product, with the labeling in letters as large as the name of the product.

(1) shall ensure that during storage or display

(A) frozen seafood products are kept frozen until sold or thawed for sale or use;

(B) seafood products that are thawed before sale or use are thawed in a preparation sink under running cold water at 70УИ F or below, or thawed under refrigeration; and

(C) a reduced oxygen packaged seafood product that is not thermally processed to be sterile or frozen is kept at 38УИ F or below;

(2) may display packaged products directly in clean, drained ice from an approved source; and

(3) may store or display raw products in clean, drained ice from an approved source, except that if ice is the sole method of maintaining product temperature, the product depth may not exceed

(A) the thickness of a whole fish;

(B) a single layer of fillets, roasts, or steaks; and

(d) In addition to the requirements of (a) - (c) of this section, the operator of a market shall ensure that

(1) refrigerated display cases or ice-cooled display cases or bins

(A) are durable and able to withstand the weight of seafood products and display ice;

(B) have a drain system adequate to remove fluids from condensation, melting ice, and the product;

(D) with condenser coils or cooling fins located at the top of the case, have catchment covers that remove any possible condensation or drippage above the product; and

(E) are cleaned of ice, and washed, rinsed, and sanitized at least three times each week, or more often if needed to control odor;

(2) storage pans are perforated;

(3) systems for holding live shellfish

(A) have tanks that

(i) have smooth, cleanable surfaces;

(ii) are durable and accessible for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing;

(iii) have plumbing and spray nozzles that are cleanable and made from safe materials; and

(iv) hold at least 100 gallons of water per 75 pounds of shellfish;

(B) have plumbing that

(i) will not be a source of contamination;

(ii) does not have dead-end pipes or hoses that can fill with stagnant water; and

(iii) has a backflow prevention device to protect the potable water supply;

(i) filtration to remove particulate matter and ammonia;

(ii) a disinfection system to remove coliform bacteria from the water; and

(iii) a refrigeration unit to maintain water at 40УИ F - 60УИ F; and

(D) have UV lights for disinfection

(i) that are cleaned at least every 6-8 weeks; and

(ii) the bulbs for which are replaced at least yearly; and

(4) employees

(A) do not mix molluscan shellfish with crustacean shellfish;

(B) do not co-mingle different lots of shellfish in the tank;

(D) wash shellfish free of mud or other debris and cull dead, broken, or weak shellfish before placing shellfish in the tank;

(E) cull shellfish at least daily to remove dead or weak shellfish;

(F) wash, rinse, and sanitize the tank and recirculation system at least once each week;

(G) ensure that tanks and recirculation systems that have been used for other species are washed, rinsed, and sanitized before use for mollusks;

(H) ensure that defoamers, if used, are of food-grade quality; and

(I) follow the manufacturer's guidelines for maintaining the water's salinity in the tanks.

History: Eff. 5/18/97, Register 142; readopt 12/19/99, Register 152; am 6/28/2001, Register 158

Authority: AS 17.20.005

Editor's note: Effective 12/19/99, Register 152, the Department of Environmental Conservation readopted 18 AAC 31.810, without change, to affirm the validity of that section following statutory amendments made in ch. 72, SLA 1998. Chapter 72, SLA 1998 relocated department authority to adopt regulations in 18 AAC 31 from AS 03.05 to AS 17.20.

Information about how to review or obtain a copy of a requirement referred to in 18 AAC 31.810 and adopted by reference in 18 AAC 31.011 is set out in the editor's note to 18 AAC 31.011.

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