Applications of HACCP Principles to Address Food Safety and Other Issues in Aquaculture

Abstract

Aquaculture is important to our United States fishery system. Import and export markets for such products can be expected to expand, particularly as increased research begins to remove physiological and animal husbandry barriers, and over fishing of wild stocks require replenishment through increased aquaculture efforts. Some unique risk factors associated with aquacultured products must be addressed and controlled as the United States relies more on aquacultured species. This is particularly the case due to concerns about increased risk exposure to our national sea animals, vegetation in the marineestuarine, and fresh water environments when live animals are transferred across state, provincial, and national borders. Nonetheless, application of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles as a risk management tool in aquaculture will work provided the proper infrastructures are executed. We must also overcome the historical regulatory pitfalls of HACCP dealing with concept understanding, critical control point definitions, misunderstanding of and between the complimentary roles of sanitation and process controls, agency and industry commitment, inspector and consumer acceptance and effective training.