|
|
|
Goal 4. Seafood Safety: Improve the Product Quality and Safety of Florida’s Seafood Products
Product quality and safety remain the common denominators linking most goals for seafood technology within the Florida Sea Grant Program. The products of concern include harvest and aquaculture operations in both domestic and international settings destined for commerce all across the U.S. This approach accounts for Florida’s traditional role with state landings of the higher valued items—shrimp, lobsters and stone crabs, plus emerging in-state aquaculture—hard clams and shrimp. Likewise, it accounts for Florida’s increasing role as one of the nation’s leading ports of entry for aquatic products from about the world.
Food safety and quality remain the measures for value and competition of aquatic products whether they are harvested, cultured or imported. Florida is recognized as a center for high-valued aquatic products that balance trade and attract tourists. Florida’s seafood producers and importers land over 150 individual aquatic species that, combined with the potential value of emerging aquaculture and dynamic retail commerce, represent the most valued aquatic food industry amongst all states in the nation. The value of seafood imports directed through Florida is second only to the imported value for cars and clothing. Comparative studies have shown that the per capita consumption of aquatic food products by Florida residents is at least twice that reported on the national level.
Typical tallies of annual landings no longer portray the real values of the seafood industry in Florida. More accurate assessments are needed to account for the explosion of imported products through Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa and the concurrent state-based commerce through further value-added processing, distribution and retail. Florida is home to some of the nation’s largest processing/wholesale operations, e.g., Beaver Street Fisheries and ConAgra Foods/Singleton Seafood; major seafood distributors, Sysco Foods/Seafood Division and U.S. Foods; regional retail firms, Publix Supermarkets and Winn Dixie Supermarkets; and national restaurants chains Darden Restaurants/Red Lobster and Outback Restaurants. The combined value of this commerce and related employment represents one of the largest concentrations of seafood activity in the United States.
Not all values in Florida’s seafood commerce are measured by dollars.For example, the vitality of the oyster industry, primarily based in Apalachicola, represents one of the most significant measures for water and environmental quality in Florida. Simply stated, the oyster industry is the “canary in the coal mine” for water quality in Apalachicola Bay. Harvest and consumption are dependent on maintaining state approved waters. Coastal water quality and related oyster product safety contribute to the value of related regional businesses and essential tourism.
At the beginning of the 21 st century, Florida’s seafood and aquaculture industries are experiencing more dramatic changes in all aspects of production, commerce, regulation and public perception than experienced in any previous decade. Elevated concerns for food safety, losses in traditional supplies and increasing demands for product quality present constraints that must be addressed to maintain the income and reputation of one of Florida’s most unique, valued and expected food industries. The scope of concern involves fishermen, aquaculture farms, processors, importers, exporters, retail operations, restaurants and all consumers.
Florida ranks in the top 10 states for food-borne illnesses and its aquatic foods contribute to this record due to the unique environmental setting. The top three recurrent causes for seafood-borne illnesses (raw shellfish, histamine in fish and ciguatoxic fish) all occur in the warm climates about Florida. Since food safety has emerged as one of the most significant factors influencing product choice, the value and reputation of Florida’s aquatic food products continue to be questioned by the public media, buyers and consumers including tourists. Liability cases and necessary insurance have escalated and threaten future commerce. Although less than 5 percent of the reported illnesses have involved events during processing, the food safety regulatory response was a non-funded federal mandate (HACCP) which is imposing historical changes in the responsibility for processors and importers. (The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, or HACCP Alliance was created to devise and implement seafood safety training to food processors following federal legislation in 1994 mandating industry improvements in this area.) State authorities have mirrored the response with additional scrutiny for the retail and food service sectors. The regulations are based on predictions of 20 to 50 percent decreases in illnesses with cost savings to the public ranging from $15 to $75 million annually. Industry and state agencies know these figures can not be realized without education and use of new technical developments.
World supply predictions forecast million-metric-ton shortfalls in available aquatic products by the end of the next decade. Florida’s aquatic food resources are threatened by coastal development and the balance between recreational and commercial interests. Competition will become more intense for both traditional items and new varieties. Attempts to maintain and mimic traditional products may encourage economic fraud (e.g., species substitution) and compromise product integrity (inferior grades). Aquaculture will offer new resources, but will introduce environmental challenges and stimulate keen foreign competition. Recent domestic concerns for use of illegal antibiotics in certain aquaculture imports have stirred regulatory barriers to free trade and public suspicion for all seafoods. New production efforts and value-added concepts will require technical support and innovation aligned with new marketing efforts.
Florida’s response to the increasing dependence on imported aquatic foods will set the pace for future cooperation in all international commerce of foods. Currently, over 70 percent of all seafood consumption in the United States involves imported products. In terms of total world production, international trade of aquatic food involves nearly 40 percent of world aquatic resources. Florida seaports handle a majority of seafood imports, particularly from the Latin American nations. Florida’s geographic setting and reputed international relations will serve in leading our nation’s participation in international commerce of all aquatic foods.
The broad goal of this area is to maintain and enhance the value and volume of seafood commerce in Florida and the U.S.
The intended audience includes all persons and firms that handle, address, regulate, market, use and consume seafood in Florida derived from domestic or international sources from harvest or aquaculture production. This includes fishermen, aquaculture farms, processors, importers, exporters, retail operations, restaurants and all consumers. In addition, this goal area maintains a high level of activity with federal agencies (e.g., U.S. Food and Drug Administration), state agencies (e.g., Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services), regional organizations (e.g., Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference, key organizations (e.g., National Academy of Sciences seafood panels) and international organizations (e.g., International Association of Fish Inspectors).
Products and activities in this area include scientific journal articles, educational courses, training schools, seminars, presentations at academic and industry association meetings and consultations with those involved in seafood commerce. Training materials, including websites, to support these activities will be developed. Some materials will be in Spanish and English. The products and activities will be delivered by the research faculty, statewide extension faculty and support staff. The communications staff will also play a key role.
Indicators will be increases in the value and volume of seafood imported, processed and produced in Florida for use in Florida and elsewhere. Other indicators will be decreases in the number of seafood-borne illnesses, fewer number of product recalls, the application of new technologies developed by both industry and agencies and industry compliance with safety, quality and regulatory guidelines.
A. Develop and enhance production and marketing
- Improve and implement safe post-harvest processing treatments for oyster products.
- Determine controls for proper use of gasses in processing and packaging fish.
- Determine handling and processing methods that will yield safe and high quality cultured shrimp, clams and other seafood.
- Determine appropriate methods and controls for reduced oxygen packaging and applications of carbon monoxide and related smokes for color retention in fish.
- Develop functional protein based foods and determine protein functionality in byproducts development.
- Determine proper time-temperature monitoring and inconsistencies in HACCP regulations for ready-to-eat and reduced-oxygen-packaging seafoods in storage and transit.
- Determine appropriate approaches for possible product code dating and more uniform product specifications for quality and safety.
- Develop instrumentation to measure and monitor seafood product quality through applications of light, imagery and olfaction-sensory tools.
B. Eliminate biological and chemical hazards in seafood
- Determine analytical methods to detect microbial pathogens and pathogenicity in raw oysters.
- Determine consequences of and controls for potential toxic histamines in scombroid fishes, including reasonable HACCP controls in harvest and distribution.
- Determine controls and guidance for the proper use of phosphating and sulfating agents.
- Determine appropriate controls for potential Listeriamonocytogenes and Salmonella through commercial channels and retail settings.
- Provide technical support to address increasing concerns for allergens from or added to seafood.
- Develop new methods to monitor microbial pathogenicity in seafood.
C. Improve skill levels of professionals in agencies and industry
- Hold annual training schools on shrimp and spiny lobster and develop smoked seafood and seafood packaging schools.
- Provide leadership for and maintain the HACCP training program for seafood processors and importers.
- Give priority in all technical training programs for train-the-trainer courses that could then be used internally by individual companies. Technical assistance will focus on company-based development of value-added and convenience-added products.
- Create a national sensory training program to monitor seafood quality and allow problem aversion linked with FDA, USDA, NMFS and the National Fishery Institute.
- Advise in advance of public concern on emerging seafood safety issues related to the use of antibiotics in aquaculture products, environmental contaminants and seafood safety.
The highest priority is a for a bilingual laboratory and training technician. More virtuallink capability is needed for distant, international, bilingual audiences and clientele. Priorities outlined here far exceed program capabilities in terms of personnel time and available funds. In addition, they are based on avoidance of pending consequences, in the form of regulatory warnings; the realization of potential opportunities, such as the development of innovative products; or available research funds. Constraints to adequately address the needs in seafood quality and safety are the lack of technical, permanent salary personnel and lack of recurring funds that allow more long range planning and response capability. There is also a lack of funding and proper protocols to encourage, facilitate and support necessaryinternational response that is more proactive and prevention oriented, rather than resolutions after problems are discovered through product imports.
|
|
|
Previous