Processed finfish

All biosecurity requirements must be met before Imported Food Inspection Scheme requirements apply.

Check our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) for biosecurity import conditions.

We classify imported food that presents a potential medium or high risk to public health as risk food. All risk food is listed in the Imported Food Control Order 2019.

Finfish that is ready-to-eat is a risk food

This includes finfish that is cooked, cured or smoked and is ready-to-eat.

Exclusions

• Ready-to-eat finfish that is dried, pickled, salted or fermented.
• Ready-to-eat finfish that are retorted and shelf stable.
• Food from New Zealand.

Declaring certificates

When lodging a Full Import Declaration (FID), use the correct ICS document code and certificate number for the food.

See lodging declarations and documentation.

Community Protection (CP) question

You will need to answer this CP question when lodging your full import declaration:

IFIS: Are the goods cooked, cured or smoked finfish that require refrigeration (frozen or chilled) and do not require further cooking before consumption?

Inspection and testing

We refer consignments of finfish that is ready-to-eat for analytical testing based on whether it supports the growth or Listeria monocytogenes or not.

• Finfish that supports the growth of Listeria monocytogenes is a risk food and referred for testing at the initial rate of 100% of consignments until compliance is demonstrated.

• Finfish that does not support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes is referred for testing at the rate of 5% of consignments.

  During inspection, we will also conduct a visual and label assessment.

Additional requirements apply to specific seafood. See the webpages for:

• Histamine susceptible fish
• Fish and crustaceans from aquaculture production

Table 1 shows the tests that will be applied and permitted results for each food type.

Table 1: Food type, test applied and permitted result

n = the number of samples to be analysed from a lot of food.
c = the maximum number of sample units that can be greater than ‘m’.
m = the acceptable microbiological level in a sample unit.

Food safety risks

Food Standard Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has given us advice about the risk of processed ready-to-eat finfish. These products present a potential medium or high risk to public health and safety for Listeria monocytogenes.

Voluntary foreign government certification arrangements

We have a voluntary certification arrangement in place with Canada and Thailand for finfish that is ready-to-eat.

Consignments of these foods from Canada and Thailand with a recognised government certificate have a reduced rate of inspection and testing.

Glossary

Ready-to-eat

Food is ready-to-eat if it is ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold.

To avoid doubt, food is not ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold if, before it is consumed, it requires further processing (such as cooking) to reduce any pathogenic microorganisms potentially present in the food to safe levels.

Retorted

Animal products are retorted if they are heated in a hermetically sealed container to a minimum core temperature of 100°C, obtaining an F⁰ value of at least 2.8.

Shelf stable

Goods are shelf stable if the:

• goods have been commercially manufactured
• goods have been packaged by the manufacturer
• goods are in that package
• package has not been opened or broken
• goods are able to be stored in the package at room or ambient temperature, and
• goods do not require refrigeration or freezing before the package is opened.

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