The difficult challenge to

implement the traceability

on seafood
by Ivn Loaiza Alamo
Prof. An Cliquet

Content
! Introduction
! What is traceability?
! Why is traceability important?
! Advances
! Conclusions
! Recommendations

Introduction
The Seafood industry continues to evolve to satisfy
what the consumers require, nowadays the consumers
are much more knowledgeable and demanding about
the foods they purchase. Therefore the increased focus
on food safety and consumer awareness raises and
hence, is urgent to identify and adopt business
practices with international standards.
On the other hand, the protection of environment
(humans included) must be considered through the
supply chain.

What is traceability?

Traceability refers to
the completeness of the
information about every
step in a process

Butthe supply chain change from

farm (aquaculture) to consume:

Feed/
Medicine

Breeder/
Hatchery/
Fish farm

Wholesaler
/Producer

Transport

Traceability means the ability to trace and follow a food, feed,

food-producing animal or substance intended to be, or
expected to be incorporated into a food or feed, through all
stages of production, processing and distribution (E.U/FAO)

Retailer

Consumer

Why is traceability important?

Scopes:

Economics

Food safety

Environmental
Occupational safety and
health

Otherwise
Belgium: 10. June. 1999: Beef, pork, poultry, egg
and milk produced in Belgium after 14. January
1999 cannot be sold, because it was discovered
that large quantities had been contaminated by
dioxin
Denmark: Listeria in smoked salmon, Nematodes
in Herring
Peru: 10. September. 2008. Hepatitis virus in
marine bivalves, food intoxication in Spain. A few
days later, forbidden to import marine bivalves
come from Peru.

Otherwise (controlled on the market

or border control)
France: 17. May. 2011. Mussels with Diarrhoeic
Shellfish Poisoning (DSP).
India: 12. May. 2011. Frozen peeled shrimps with
prohibited substance chloramphenicol (0.11 ug/kg
ppb).
Vietnam: 19. May. 2011. chlorpyriphos (144 g/kg
- ppb) and trifluralin (6.3 g/kg - ppb) in pangasius
fillets (Pangasius hypophthalmus).

Otherwise (controlled on the market

or border control)
South Africa: 20. May. 2011. Poor temperature
control - rupture of the cold chain - of frozen tuna
(Thunnus alalunga).

Brazil: 20. May. 2011. Poor temperature control rupture of the cold chain - of whole tuna
(Katsuwonus pelamis).

Advances - EU
January 2002. Official Journal of the European
Communities. Demand: Traceability, Scientific name,
Trade name, etc. (the most importance of 66 scopes developed)
(8) High level of health protection as appropriate in the
development of food law, whether food or feed is traded on
the internal market or internationally.
(9) It is necessary to ensure that consumers, other stakeholders and trading partners have confidence in the
decision-making processes underpinning food law scientific basis.

Advances - EU
(15) Networking of laboratories, with the aim of
ensuring continuous monitoring of food safety,
could play an important role in the prevention of
potential health risks for citizens.
(23) International trade agreements; nondiscriminatory manner; following fair and ethical
trading practices.
(30) A different food business operators (to be able
to devise a safe system or not) in States can create
barriers trade.

Advances - EU
(32) The scientific and technical basis relating to the safety
of food and feed should contribute to the achievement of a
high level of health protection.
(33) (34) (35) (36) The establishment of a European Food
Safety The Authority should reinforce the present system
of scientific and technical support which is an independent
scientific source of advice. These should include issues in
food safety (mainly) and feed supply chains, animal and
plant health and welfare, also cover scientific advice and
scientific and technical support on human nutrition.
(37) (38) Some environmental and worker protection
aspects should also be assessed by the Authority in
accordance with the relevant legislation.

Advances - FAO
November 2009. Workshop on the role of
international standards in managing the supply
chain and traceability Geneva. Traceability
purpose:
! ensuring food safety throughout the food

chain
! fair trade practices : ensuring the quality of the

product, preventing misleading labeling for

consumers

Advances - FAO
Principles for traceability/product tracing (taking in
account different scope than E.U)
! The application of traceability/product tracing should

take into account the capabilities of developing

countries.
! If in the context of a traceability/product tracing tool

an importing country has objectives or outcomes which

cannot be met by an exporting country, the importing
country should consider the provision of assistance to
the exporting country, and especially in the case of a
developing country.

Advances - FAO
Application of traceability, different purposes:
! Food safety : or food hygiene, Hazard

Analysis- critical control points (HACCP).

! Certification: sanitary certificates, food

quality
! Consumer: information and substantiation of

claims

Codes of hygienic practice developed on a risk

based approach and HACCP application for:
!

Drinking waters (2001)

! Transport of foods in bulk (2001)

! Transport of fats and oils in bulk (1999, 2001, further

revision ongoing)
! Fresh fruit and vegetables (2003)
! Milk and milk products (2004)

! Fish and Fishery products (2003 to 2008 and

ongoing): includes process for compliance

with safety and quality provisions

Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery

Products
Host Government: Norway: Last session of CCFFP will be
held April 11-16, 2011 in Tromso, Norway. The Committee
will continue to work on:
! Draft Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products

(Crabs and relevant Definitions)

!

Draft Standard for Sturgeon Caviar

! Proposed Draft List of Methods for the Determination of

Biotoxins in the Draft Standard for Raw and Live Bivalve

Molluscs

Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery

Products
! Proposed Draft Standard for Quick

Frozen Scallop Adductor Muscle Meat

! Proposed Draft Code of Practice on the

Processing of Scallop Meat

! Proposed Draft Standard for Smoked

Fish, Smoke-Flavoured Fish and SmokeDried Fish

! Proposed Draft Standard for Fish Sauce

Codex Committee on Fish and

Fishery Products
! Amendment to the Standard for Quick

Frozen Fish Sticks (Nitrogen Factors)

! Proposed Draft Standard for Fresh/Live

and Frozen Abalone

! Revision of the Procedure for the

Inclusion of Additional Species in

Standards for Fish and Fishery Products

Other Advances

Conclusions
! E.U and FAO are important organizations

which are developing scopes, codes and

standards in the traceability of seafood.
! The information of traceability implementation

in developing countries is still poor.

! Environmental (including humans as workers)

issues are in the secondary objectives in most of

the reviewed documents.

Conclusions
! The importing country should assist the

exporting country in terms of good practice in

the elaboration of a product, even more if the
country is a developing country.
! The scientific and technical support in EU is

developed with an independent scientific

group.
! The creation of different manual,

implementation, practical guides in U.S.A and

Canada are addressing the implementation of
traceability in seafood products.

References
!

Doyran S. H. , 2009. Codex standards and traceability.

Workshop on the role of international standards in
managing the supply chain and traceability. Geneva.

! Olsen P., 2009. Round Table on Eco-Labelling and

Certification in the Fisheries Sector. Netherlands.

! Seattle fish CO., 2010. Ensuring Traceability in the

Seafood Supply Chain

!

Cannavan A. FAO/IAEA Agriculture & Biotechnology

Laboratory. Food Traceability and Authenticity Global Issues. Austria.

References
!

Magera A. and Beaton S., 2009. Seafood Traceability in

Canada traceability systems, certification, eco-labeling
and standards for achieving sustainable seafood.

! Petersen A. and Green D. Seafood Traceability: A

Practical Guide for the U.S. Industry.

!

Germain C. FAO., 2003. Traceability implementation

in developing countries, its possibilities and its
constraints A few case studies.

! Assessing the state of readiness. An analysis of the

requirements, current conditions and opportunities for

traceability in the british columbia seafood sector.