18 AAC 34.310 - Processing requirements for smoked or smoke-flavored seafood products

(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, the process used to make smoked or smoke-flavored seafood products must be approved by the department because of potential food safety hazards.

(b) A person who processes sport-caught seafood products using a smoking process that is requested by a customer but that is not approved by the department shall identify the sport-caught products as required by 18 AAC 34.110(f) and segregate those products from other seafood products.

(c) A person who processes smoked or smoke-flavored seafood products shall ice, refrigerate, or freeze seafood products upon receipt and keep them iced, refrigerated, or frozen until processed, unless the product will be processed within one hour after receipt.

(d) Smoked or smoke-flavored seafood products may not contain more than

(1) 200 ppm of sodium nitrite and must meet the requirements of 21 C.F.R. 172.175, adopted by reference in 18 AAC 34.010;

(2) 200 ppm potassium nitrate and must meet the requirements of 21 C.F.R. 172.160, adopted by reference in 18 AAC 34.010; or

(3) 500 ppm of sodium nitrate and must meet the requirements of 21 C.F.R. 172.170, adopted by reference in 18 AAC 34.010.

(e) If a curing mixture contains sodium nitrite, the curing mixture must be a clearly labeled commercial premix of low concentration, and must be under the control of an employee designated by the processor.

(f) Liquid brines must be changed after three batches to prevent an increase in bacterial populations. Brines may not be reused after four hours unless they are filtered to remove bacteria.

(g) For cold-smoked seafood products, the processor must monitor the temperatures within the smoking chamber to assure the following temperatures and times are not exceeded:

(1) when the temperature for drying or smoking does not exceed 50º Fahrenheit in the chamber, seafood products may be processed for up to 24 hours; or

(2) when the temperature for drying or smoking does not exceed 90º Fahrenheit, seafood products may be processed for up to 20 hours;

(h) A processor shall ensure that smoked or smoke-flavored seafood products are

(1) heated to an internal temperature of at least 145º Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes during the smoking process and that this temperature is reached within 24 hours of starting the heating process; or

(2) frozen before distribution of the finished product, either before or after the smoking process, as follows:

(A) blast frozen to an internal temperature of -31º Fahrenheit or below for at least 15 hours;

(B) frozen to an internal temperature of -10º Fahrenheit or below for at least 168 hours (seven days); or

(C) frozen to an internal temperature of 5º Fahrenheit or below for at least 288 hours (12 days).

(i) If a seafood product was sport-caught and was processed by a custom processor and the custom processor has not processed the seafood product to kill parasites as required in (h) of this section, the custom processor shall label the seafood product with the following statement: "WARNING! This product has not been treated to kill naturally occurring parasites. Freezing to an internal temperature of 5º Fahrenheit for at least 12 days will kill these parasites."

(j) A person who processes a seafood product into a smoked or smoke-flavored seafood product shall keep records of brine formulation, cook times and temperatures, drying times, freezing times, distribution, and results of tests conducted by a laboratory or by the processor. Records must be kept for the time specified at 18 AAC 34.920(b).

Notes

18 AAC 34.310

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

Information about how to review or obtain a copy of a requirement referred to in 18 AAC 34.310 and adopted by reference in 18 AAC 34.010 is set out in the editor's note to 18 AAC 34.010.

Authority:AS 17.20.005

AS 17.20.065

AS 17.20.070

AS 17.20.072

AS 17.20.180

AS 44.46.020