Product Inspection of Imported Fish

5. Product Inspection

• 5.1 Detention of Lots Subject to Inspection
• 5.2 Sampling of a Lot for Inspection
• 5.3 Product Tests, Test Procedures and Canadian Standards
• 5.4 Decision on product acceptability

Product inspections are conducted in accordance to the procedures set out in the Fish Products Inspection Manual, Chapter 2. Products subject to inspection undergo an initial inspection for the test(s) which have been identified. The lot is sampled for testing in accordance to the procedures which apply for the tests being conducted. Test results are assessed against Canadian standards and guidelines. If the test result(s) do not meet Canadian standards, the lot is rejected and cannot be sold or distributed in Canada. The lot can undergo a re-inspection for the tests which failed provided that the product does not have in or upon it any poisonous or harmful substance.

5.1 Detention of Lots Subject to Inspection

Lots subject to inspection are placed under detention in accordance to the procedures outlined in the Fish Products Inspection Manual, Chapter 2, Subject 3.

In the case of fresh fish, which has a short shelf-life, lots to be inspected for monitoring purposes as part of the annual sampling plan are not required to be detained if the product has a good history of compliance or the importer submits proof of compliance that the product meets Canadian requirements.

5.2 Sampling of a Lot for Inspection

A lot is sampled for inspection in accordance to the procedures set out in the Standards and Methods Manual, Sampling.

Sample units may be used for more than one test provided that the unit size permits it, the sample units remain representative of the lot and that there is no impact on any of the test results.

5.2.1 Sample size

The number of units to be sampled in a lot is based on the tests to be conducted and whether the inspection is an initial inspection or a re-inspection as described in the Standards and Methods Manual, Sampling.

Sample Size Determination

Test	Sample Size - Sampling plan
Microbiological Tests Food Pathogens E. coli Salmonella Listeria monocytogenes Staphylococcus aureus	Adopted from the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) Sampling Policy and Procedures
Chemical Tests Marine toxins (PSP, ASP, DSP, ciguatoxin) Environmental contaminants (mercury) Heavy metals Food additives Safety parameters Electrophoresis (species identification) Therapeutants	Adopted from the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) Sampling Policy and Procedures
Histamine Sensory Evaluation Net Content Determination Package Integrity	Adopted from the Codex AQL 6.5 sampling plan of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) / World Health Organization (WHO) Codex Alimentarius Sampling Plans for Prepackaged Foods (CAC/RM 42-1969). Sampling Policy and Procedures
Container Integrity	Visual Inspection Protocol (VIP) Bulletin on the Container Integrity Evaluation Sampling and Tolerance Plan For Canned Fish and Canned Fish Product

5.3 Product Tests, Test Procedures and Canadian Standards

Species Related Testing

Species	Production Source	Tests	Processing Type	Product form	Standards / Guidelines
Species subject to Environmental Contaminants	Wild caught	Mercury	All	Meat oil Roe Organ	Canadian Guidelines for Chemical Contaminants and Toxins in Fish and Fish Products
Species subject to Environmental Contaminants	Wild caught	Pesticides DDT, HCB, BHCs, heptachlor, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, aldrin, mirex	All	Organ Oil Roe	Canadian Guidelines for Chemical Contaminants and Toxins in Fish and Fish Products
Species subject to Environmental Contaminants	Farmed	Drugs/Therapeutants	All	Meat Organ, Roe	Appendix 1 (A) - CFIA Aquaculture Therapeutant Residue Monitoring List
Species subject to Histamine production	Wild caught, Farmed	Histamine	All	Meat Extracts Juice	Canadian Guidelines for Chemical Contaminants and Toxins in Fish and Fish Products
Species subject to Histamine production	Farmed	Drugs/Therapeutants	All	Meat Organ, Roe	Appendix 1 (A) - CFIA Aquaculture Therapeutant Residue Monitoring List
Salmonids	Wild caught	Pesticides DDT, HCB, BHCs, heptachlor, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, aldrin, mirex	All	Organ Oil Roe	Canadian Guidelines for Chemical Contaminants and Toxins in Fish and Fish Products
Salmonids	Farmed	Drugs/Therapeutants	All	Meat Organ, Roe	Appendix 1 (A) - CFIA Aquaculture Therapeutant Residue Monitoring List
Crustaceans	Farmed	Drugs/Therapeutants	All	Meat Organ, Roe	Appendix 1 (A) - CFIA Aquaculture Therapeutant Residue Monitoring List
Molluscan Shellfish Species subject to Marine Toxins1	Wild caught Farmed	Marine Toxins Saxitoxins (PSP), Domoic Acid (ASP), DTX-1 and Okadaic Acid (DSP), Pectenotoxins PTX-1, PTX-2, PTX-3, PTX-4, PTX-6 and PTX-11	All	Meat Juice Extracts Dried	Canadian Guidelines for Chemical Contaminants and Toxins in Fish and Fish Products
Molluscan Shellfish Species subject to Marine Toxins	Wild caught Farmed	E. coli	All non RTE; RTE without safety parameters without heat treatment	Meat	Bacteriological Guidelines for Fish and Fish Products
Fish (other than salmonids, Molluscan shellfish and crustaceans)	Farmed	Drugs/Therapeutants	All	Meat Organ, Roe	Appendix 1 (A) - CFIA Aquaculture Therapeutant Residue Monitoring List

¹Scallop products consisting of only the adductor muscle/meat free of viscera or roe do not require testing for marine toxins.

Note: Products which are a mixture of fish and other food components from which the fish component cannot be easily separated are not subject to testing for contaminants and therapeutants. The non-fish components are not part of the scope for these test methods and can interfere with the methods and accuracy of the test results. Examples of such products include but are not limited to shrimp wonton soup or dumplings.

Electrophoresis - When there is doubt regarding the species declared for a product, electrophoresis is conducted to verify whether the species used is the one which was declared.

Processing Related Testing

Processing Type	Tests	Species	Product form	Procedures	Standards / Requirements
ALL (Canned, RTE-cooked, RTE-pasteurized in container, RTE-Safety parameters, RTE-no heat or safety parameters, Non-RTE)	Sensory Evaluation	All	All	Fish Products Standards and Methods Manual	Fish Products Standards and Methods Manual
ALL (Canned, RTE-cooked, RTE-pasteurized in container, RTE-Safety parameters, RTE-no heat or safety parameters, Non-RTE)	Net Content	All	All	Net Content Determination Procedures	Net Content Determination Procedures
ALL (Canned, RTE-cooked, RTE-pasteurized in container, RTE-Safety parameters, RTE-no heat or safety parameters, Non-RTE)	Label Assessment	All	All	--	Fish and Fish Products Labeling directives Product specific labelling requirements / standards of identity CFIA Fish List
ALL (Canned, RTE-cooked, RTE-pasteurized in container, RTE-Safety parameters, RTE-no heat or safety parameters, Non-RTE)	Food Additives	All	All	--	Guide to Additives Permitted in Fish and Fish Products Background Levels for Non-Permitted Additives
Canned	Container Integrity	All	All	Visual Inspection Protocol Metal Can Defects Manual Flexible Retort Pouch Manual	Metal Can Defects Manual Flexible Retort Pouch Manual
RTE-Cooked (frozen or refrigerated with a short shelf-life)	Food Pathogens - Listeria monocytogenes - E. coli - Staphylococcus aureus - Salmonella	All	Meat Organ	--	Bacteriological Guidelines for Fish and Fish Products
RTE-cooked (refrigerated with a long shelf-life)	Food Pathogens - Listeria monocytogenes - E. coli - Staphylococcus aureus - Salmonella	All	Meat Organ	--	Bacteriological Guidelines for Fish and Fish Products
RTE-cooked (refrigerated with a long shelf-life)	Package Integrity	All	Meat Organ	Package Integrity Guideline	Package Integrity Guideline
RTE-cooked (refrigerated with a long shelf-life)	Food Safety Parameters (as applicable) - pH - Water activity - Water phase salt	All	Meat Organ	--	Guide - Process Control Technical Information
RTE - Pasteurized in container (frozen)	Package Integrity	All	All	Package Integrity of Pasteurized Products (to be issued at a later date)	Package Integrity of Pasteurized Products (to be issued at a later date)
RTE - Pasteurized in container (refrigerated with a long shelf-life or shelf-stable)	Package Integrity	All	All	Package Integrity of Pasteurized Products (to be issued at a later date)	Package Integrity of Pasteurized Products (to be issued at a later date)
RTE - Pasteurized in container (refrigerated with a long shelf-life or shelf-stable)	Food Safety Parameters (as applicable) - pH - Water activity - Water phase salt	All	Meat Roe Organ Extracts	--	Guide - Process Control Technical Information
RTE- Safety parameters	Food Safety Parameters (as applicable) - pH - Water activity - Water phase salt	All	Meat Roe Organ Extracts/Concentrate, Oil	--	Guide - Process Control Technical Information
RTE- Safety parameters	Food Pathogens - Listeria monocytogenes - E. coli - Staphylococcus aureus - Salmonella	All	Meat Roe Organ Extracts/Concentrate, Oil	--	Bacteriological Guidelines for Fish and Fish Products
RTE- Safety parameters	Package Integrity	All	All	Package Integrity Guideline	Package Integrity Guideline
RTE- no safety parameters or heat	Food Pathogens - Listeria monocytogenes - E. coli - Staphylococcus aureus - Salmonella	All	Meat Roe Organ Juice	--	Bacteriological Guidelines for Fish and Fish Products
Non-RTE mixed food commodities (pre-cooked rice or pasta)	Food Pathogens - Staphylococcus aureus	All	Meat	--	Bacteriological Guidelines for Fish and Fish Products
Non RTE - Battered fish	Food Pathogens - Staphylococcus aureus	All	Meat	--	Bacteriological Guidelines for Fish and Fish Products
Non RTE - Battered fish	Percent Fish Determination for breaded/battered fish	All	Meat	Determination of percent fish in breaded and battered fish

Product Specific Requirements

Smoked Fish

• Storage/Packaging requirements
• Labelling and weight determination of sliced smoked fish

Salted Anchovies

• Salted anchovy products must be kept refrigerated and labeled "keep refrigerated"

Scallops

• Moisture content

5.4 Decision on product acceptability

Based on an assessment of all the test results, the CFIA will make a decision on the acceptability of the product for sale and distribution in Canada:

1. If the product meets Canadian standards, the product is released by the CFIA from detention;
2. If the product does not meet Canadian standards, the product remains under detention until a plan for product disposition has been accepted by CFIA. The CFIA will monitor the delivery of the disposition plan by the importer.

Next Page: Appendix A - References  | Previous: 4. Product Inspection of Imported Fish