Summary Report on the Problems Faced by the Inshore Shrimp Industry in Complying with European Food Hygiene Legislation

Summary

Inshore shrimping is a small, traditional industry now largely dependant on a Dutch export market for brown shrimp but with some local trade in brown and pink shrimp remaining. Uniquely the industry produces a cooked at sea product and it does this in rudimentary conditions often on small, old and poorly equipped vessels. Despite this the industry does not have a history of damaging public health. With increasing concern over food safety, particularly for pre-cooked foods, new hygiene legislation of European origin requires the upgrading of the majority of this industry, although those involved exclusively in small-scale trade within the UK direct to retailers or final consumers or only supplying raw material for further cooking are specifically exempted. Physical upgrading of equipment, rapid chilling after cooking and the use of clean water are required and a microbiological specification for the cooked product must be met. Seafish has been investigating the problems faced by the industry in meeting these requirements, together with possible upgrading solutions. This work had been levy funded. This report has been produced from a scanned original and may therefore contain some formatting and other inaccuracies. In cases where this affects the technical content, a paper copy of the original report can still be obtained from Seafish.

Publication Reference No.

SR426

Publication date

01 December 1993