84
H. Toyofuku
At the 43rd session of the CCFH, the CCFH considered this issue and again
discussed whether the criteria for Salmonella should be retained in the Standard.
Some delegations were of the view that the criteria should be removed from
the Standard as it was inconsistent with the Principles for the Establishment
and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Food (CAC/GL 21-1997) and
that the criterion provided little or no added protection for salmonellosis, above
that achieved by risk management strategies, such as sanitary surveys and faecal
indicator monitoring. Other delegations were of the opinion that the criterion should
be retained, as it was widely used in their jurisdiction, especially due to the high
consumption of live and raw bivalve molluscs which were not submitted to any
treatment to reduce the level of Salmonella contamination. The CCFH agreed to a
proposal, which provided a level of flexibility to the application of the criterion by
indicating that it could be implemented by competent authorities taking into account
the epidemiological situation and based on environmental monitoring as well as
other surveillance. Noting that this type of provision was more appropriate to a code
of practice, the Committee agreed to recommend to the Committee on Fish and
Fishery Products (CCFFP) to remove the criterion for Salmonella (Section I-6.5)
from the Standard for Live and Raw Bivalve Molluscs (CODEX STAN 292-2008)
and to include in the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (CAC/RCP 522003), Section 7.2.2.2, the following: “When appropriate, taking into account the
epidemiological situation as indicated by the results of environmental monitoring
and/or other surveillance, the competent authority may decide to implement a
criterion for Salmonella.” (Codex 2011d).
Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Seafood
At the 38th session of the CCFH, the CCFH agreed to request FAO and WHO to
use the risk assessment on Vibrio parahaemolyticus in seafood, which they are
developing to provide scientific guidance to the Codex Committee on Fish and
Fishery Products, to follow up on the recommendations of the CCFH regarding
the hygiene provisions in the Proposed Draft Standard for Live and Raw Bivalve
Molluscs. The following risk management question is proposed:
• Estimate the risk reduction from V. parahaemolyticus when the total number of
V. parahaemolyticus or the number of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus, ranges
from absence in 25 g to 1,000 cfu or MPN per gram (Codex 2007a).
At the 39th session of the CCFH, FAO and WHO presented the work which
considered the impact of three different limits for V. parahaemolyticus: 100, 1,000
and 10,000 cfu/g. These limits were considered to be applied when the products
were cooled after harvesting, or when the population of V. parahaemolyticus had
stabilised (i.e., when the temperature becomes too low for further growth but not so
low that die-off occurs).
H. Toyofuku
At the 43rd session of the CCFH, the CCFH considered this issue and again
discussed whether the criteria for Salmonella should be retained in the Standard.
Some delegations were of the view that the criteria should be removed from
the Standard as it was inconsistent with the Principles for the Establishment
and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Food (CAC/GL 21-1997) and
that the criterion provided little or no added protection for salmonellosis, above
that achieved by risk management strategies, such as sanitary surveys and faecal
indicator monitoring. Other delegations were of the opinion that the criterion should
be retained, as it was widely used in their jurisdiction, especially due to the high
consumption of live and raw bivalve molluscs which were not submitted to any
treatment to reduce the level of Salmonella contamination. The CCFH agreed to a
proposal, which provided a level of flexibility to the application of the criterion by
indicating that it could be implemented by competent authorities taking into account
the epidemiological situation and based on environmental monitoring as well as
other surveillance. Noting that this type of provision was more appropriate to a code
of practice, the Committee agreed to recommend to the Committee on Fish and
Fishery Products (CCFFP) to remove the criterion for Salmonella (Section I-6.5)
from the Standard for Live and Raw Bivalve Molluscs (CODEX STAN 292-2008)
and to include in the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (CAC/RCP 522003), Section 7.2.2.2, the following: “When appropriate, taking into account the
epidemiological situation as indicated by the results of environmental monitoring
and/or other surveillance, the competent authority may decide to implement a
criterion for Salmonella.” (Codex 2011d).
Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Seafood
At the 38th session of the CCFH, the CCFH agreed to request FAO and WHO to
use the risk assessment on Vibrio parahaemolyticus in seafood, which they are
developing to provide scientific guidance to the Codex Committee on Fish and
Fishery Products, to follow up on the recommendations of the CCFH regarding
the hygiene provisions in the Proposed Draft Standard for Live and Raw Bivalve
Molluscs. The following risk management question is proposed:
• Estimate the risk reduction from V. parahaemolyticus when the total number of
V. parahaemolyticus or the number of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus, ranges
from absence in 25 g to 1,000 cfu or MPN per gram (Codex 2007a).
At the 39th session of the CCFH, FAO and WHO presented the work which
considered the impact of three different limits for V. parahaemolyticus: 100, 1,000
and 10,000 cfu/g. These limits were considered to be applied when the products
were cooled after harvesting, or when the population of V. parahaemolyticus had
stabilised (i.e., when the temperature becomes too low for further growth but not so
low that die-off occurs).