Who does this affect?

This notice is for brokers and importers of fish to advise of proposed amendments to the inspection and analysis of fish and fish products for histamine.

What is proposed?

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is proposing that from December 2016, the following fish and fish products be classified as risk food for histamine:
•fish of the family Scombridae (for example, tuna, mackerel and bonito);
•fish of the family Coryphaenidae (for example, mahi-mahi);
•fish of the family Pomatomidae (for example, bluefish);
•fish of the family Carangidae (for example, trevallies, jacks and pompanos);
•fish of the family Clupeidae (for example, herrings, sardines);
•fish of the family Engraulidae (for example, anchovy);
•fish of the family Scomberesocidae (for example, king gars and saury);
•fish products containing more than 300 g/kg of all or any of the fish named above.

Throughout this notice the fish and fish products listed above will be described as ‘specified fish products’.

This proposed classification as risk food would mean that these specified fish products would be inspected and analysed as a risk food for histamine from December 2016.

Why is the change being proposed?

Histamine in fish and fish products can have serious consequences for consumers. Importers must therefore ensure that all fish and fish products they import comply with the 200 mg/kg level for histamine in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. This 200 mg/kg level is the same level specified in standards developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

In addition, Food Standards Australia New Zealand has advised the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources that the specified fish products have the potential to pose a medium or high risk to public health for the toxin histamine. This risk statement is available here and includes background information about histamine.

To protect public health and safety, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is proposing that the specified fish products from a number of fish species be classified as risk foods. This change would enable the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources to monitor levels of histamine in the specified fish products at a suitable rate, and ensure that the level of histamine complies with the 200 mg/kg level in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

What would be the effect of the proposed change?

The change would not restrict trade. The classification of the specified fish products as risk foods would mean that these foods will initially be subject to an increased rate of inspection and analysis (also known as conformity assessment procedures).

The classification would not affect the following fish and fish products:
•tuna, tuna products and mackerel as these are already classified as risk foods. There will be no change to the inspection and analysis of tuna, tuna products and mackerel for histamine;
•fish and fish products covered by foreign government certification that Australia has agreed with other countries.
•fish and fish products from New Zealand. There will be no change to the inspection and analysis of fish and fish products from New Zealand.
•fish and fish products that are not the specified fish products. There will be no change to the inspection and analysis of other kinds of fish and fish products for histamine.

For other consignments of the specified fish products, the food would be inspected, sampled and held until the results of a histamine analysis are known. The food would not be released if it is found to contain more than 200 mg/kg of histamine.

Under the Imported Food Control Regulations 1993, consignments of the specified fish products from each producer would initially be subject to a 100 per cent rate of inspection and analysis for histamine. This rate of inspection and analysis would reduce to a 25 per cent rate of inspection and analysis if the first five consignments of specified fish products from the producer are found to comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. The rate of inspection and analysis reduces to a 5 per cent rate of inspection and analysis if a further 20 consignments of specified fish products from that producer are found to comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

How would the proposed change be implemented?

The change would only be implemented if the Imported Food Control Order 2001 is amended to classify the specified fish as risk foods.

Any change would be implemented by:
•referring the specified fish products using the relevant tariff codes in the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO); and
•the use of an amended Community Protection question (lodgement question) that would ask brokers to identify goods that are the specified fish and fish products.

To enable the department to efficiently inspect and analyse the specified fish products, the existing Community Protection question about tuna and mackerel would be replaced with the following new Community Protection question and applied to goods lodged under relevant tariff codes for the specified fish products:

‘ARE THE GOODS, OR DO THE GOODS CONTAIN MORE THAN 300 G/KG OF, FISH OF THE FAMILY SCOMBRIDAE, CORYPHAENIDAE, POMATOMIDAE, CARANGIDAE, CLUPEIDAE, ENGRAULIDAE OR SCOMBERESOCIDAE?’

The Australian Fish Names Standard AS 5300 may be used as a reference by brokers for answering the Community Protection question. The Fisheries Research & Development Corporation’s ‘fish names database’ assists with searching the standard by scientific and common names.

As detailed above, the specified fish products would then be inspected and sampled, and would not be released if it is found to contain more than 200 mg/kg of histamine.

For importers of tuna, tuna products and mackerel, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources would maintain any reduced rate of inspection that has been achieved through previous good compliance with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Next steps?

Any person can comment on the proposal to classify the specified fish products as risk foods and can also comment on how the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources would propose to implement the proposal.

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources requests that any comments are received by 9 am Australian Eastern Daylight Time on Monday 13 December 2016. The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources may not be able to consider any comments received after this time.

Comments should be addressed to:

The Director
Imported Food
Compliance Division
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

Comments can be provided to Food Imports
​

http://www.agriculture.gov.au/import/goods/food/notices/ifn-17-16