Title 18 . Environmental Conservation

Chapter 34 . Administrative Enforcement

Section 122. Seafood product standards

18 AAC 34.122. Seafood product standards

Seafood products that are processed for, or placed into, domestic commerce must meet the following standards:

(1) for shellfish, either in the shell or shucked but not eviscerated, the bacteriological standard is a fecal coliform density of not more than 230 MPN per 100 grams, and a 35ΓΈ Celsius aerobic plate count of not more than 500,000 bacteria per gram; shellfish exceeding either of these levels are unsuitable for human consumption;

(2) for fresh or frozen seafood products other than shellfish:

(A) organoleptic: no contamination or decomposition detected; and

(B) histamine in scombroid fish: less than or equal to 50 ppm;

(3) for refrigerated or frozen ready-to-eat seafood product, except as provided in (4) of this section:

(A) Listeria monocytogenes: zero tolerance;

(B) Salmonella spp.: zero tolerance;

(C) Escherichia coli: less than or equal to 1,000 MPN per gram;

(D) Staphylococcus aureus: less than or equal to 10,000 MPN per gram;

(E) organoleptic: no contamination or decomposition detected; and

(F) sodium nitrite:

(i) less than or equal to 200 ppm for smoked salmon or sablefish; or

(ii) less than or equal to 10 ppm for smoked tuna;

(4) for smoked salmon or sablefish, sodium nitrate: less than or equal to 500 ppm;

(5) for cod roe, potassium nitrate: less than or equal to 200 ppm;

(6) shelf-stable seafood product other than shelf-stable salted seafood product must meet the standards in (3) of this section, must be capable of being stored at room temperature for extended periods without production of pathogenic or toxigenic microorganisms or product deterioration, and must meet one of the following standards:

(A) the product has been thermally processed;

(B) the product has a water activity below 0.85 and a water phase salt of 16 percent or greater;

(C) the product has a water activity below 0.85 and is acidified below a pH of 4.6;

(D) the product complies with 21 C.F.R. 172.385, adopted by reference in 18 AAC 34.010, for whole fish protein concentrate; or

(E) the product has a water activity below 0.75;

(7) shelf-stable salted seafood product must meet the requirements of (6)(B) of this section and must

(A) be produced under conditions where the product has been maintained at a temperature below 60ΓΈ Fahrenheit during processing; and

(B) have a maximum ratio of raw product of salt of 2 to 1 for a dry brine process, and a minimum ratio of raw product to rock salt of 3 to 1 for a wet brine process;

(8) for eviscerated and shucked fresh or frozen shellfish product, except oysters:

(A) fecal coliform: less than or equal to 100 MPN per 100 grams; and

(B) 35ΓΈ Celsius aerobic plate count: less than or equal to 100,000 colony-forming units (CFU) per gram;

(9) for live, fresh, or frozen snails and shellfish, including uneviscerated shellstock;

(A) PSP: less than 80 m g; and

(B) domoic acid: less than 20 ppm; and

(10) for live, fresh, cooked, or frozen whole crab product:

(A) PSP: less than 70 m g; and

(B) domoic acid: less than 30 ppm.

History: Eff. 12/18/97, Register 144; am/readopt 12/2/99, Register 152

Authority: AS 17.20.005

AS 17.20.010

AS 17.20.020

AS 17.20.030

AS 17.20.065

AS 17.20.072

AS 17.20.180

AS 17.20.290

AS 44.46.020

Editor's note: Effective 12/2/99, Register 152, the Department of Environmental Conservation readopted 18 AAC 34.122, to affirm the validity of that section following statutory amendments made in ch. 72, SLA 1998. The department also amended 18 AAC 34.122(2) -(3). Chapter 72, SLA 1998 relocated department authority to adopt regulations in 18 AAC 34 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 34.122 and adopted by reference in 18 AAC 34.010 is set out in the editor's note to 18 AAC 34.010.