GB/T 24861-2024Technical specification for currency supervise of fishery products (English PDF)

1 Scope

The document lays down the general requirements for the management of the distribution of aquatic products and the requirements for receipt, transport, storage and selling, and describes records as the corresponding means of verification.

It applies to the technical management of live, chilled and frozen animal aquatic products from receipt through to selling.

4 General requirements

4.1.1 Suitable cold stores, transport means or other facilities and equipment meeting the temperature and humidity control needs of aquatic product distribution shall be provided as needed.

4.1.2 The safety and technical requirements for transport equipment for aquatic products shall meet SC/T 6041; ultra-low temperature transport equipment shall meet SC/T 9020; and cold stores shall meet GB/T 28009.

4.1.3 Transport means, cold stores and other facilities should be fitted with devices for monitoring, recording, alarming and controlling temperature and humidity, and the monitoring devices shall be calibrated at regular intervals and the calibration recorded.

4.1.4 Facilities and equipment shall be easy to clean, disinfect, inspect and maintain.

4.2.1 Persons working in the distribution of aquatic products shall have the relevant knowledge of quality control of aquatic products in distribution and of food hygiene, shall be trained professionally and shall pass an assessment before taking up their post.

4.2.2 Persons handling aquatic products in distribution shall hold a valid health certificate and shall not have an infection or an open wound.

4.2.3 Health files shall be kept for the staff, a health examination shall be carried out at least once a year, and a further examination shall be made where needed.

4.3.1 Ice used in the distribution of aquatic products shall be clean and hygienic, and the water used to make it shall meet GB 5749.

4.3.2 Loading containers and packaging materials shall be chosen to suit the transport requirement; they shall be clean, non-toxic and free of off-odour, and those meant for repeated use shall be easy to clean.

4.3.3 Where a public health event is involved, the outer packaging of the aquatic products and the articles and tools used at handover shall be cleaned and disinfected at the handover stage.

5 Receipt of aquatic products

The aquatic products received shall be free of contamination and their quality shall meet the relevant standards.

On receipt, the relevant supporting documents such as the inspection report and the certificate of conformity shall be verified and recorded. Where a certificate of conformity cannot be provided, the products shall be accepted only after batch by batch inspection has been passed.

The receipt record shall hold at least the species, quantity, size, quality and origin of the aquatic products, the temperature and humidity during distribution and the duration of transport.

6 Transport

6.1 At handover the species, quantity and temperature of the aquatic products are confirmed, loading follows as soon as they are found correct, and a handover record is made. The ambient temperature of the handover operation shall be strictly controlled and the handover time kept as short as possible.

6.2 Live aquatic products are handled according to GB/T 36192.

6.3 For chilled aquatic products, the transport means is chosen to suit the season, distance, quantity and transport time. Where refrigerated transport is used, the vehicle should be brought down close to the required transport temperature before loading, and the product temperature during transport should be held between -2 °C and 4 °C. Where the transport means has no refrigeration, insulated loading containers should be used and the temperature inside them controlled with crushed ice or cool packs in sufficient quantity. Products shall be set down gently during loading and unloading, treading and heavy pressure shall be avoided, and they shall not be loaded together with toxic or harmful goods.

6.4 For frozen aquatic products, a refrigerated or insulated transport means is chosen to suit the season, distance, quantity and transport time. Where refrigerated transport is used, the storage space of the vehicle body or ship's hold shall first be pre-cooled to 10 °C or below, or to the pre-cooling temperature agreed between the parties, before loading may begin, and the temperature of that space during transport shall not be higher than -12 °C. The ambient temperature and the time of the loading and unloading operation shall be strictly controlled, the product temperature should not be higher than -12 °C, and the product shall be brought down to -18 °C or below as soon as possible after loading or unloading. Where the transport means has no refrigeration, the vehicle body or hold shall be insulated and the temperature of the storage space during transport should not be higher than -12 °C. The transport conditions and temperature of ultra-low temperature aquatic products follow the requirements of the party placing the order.

6.4.5 Where the vehicle body, ship's hold or loading container goes beyond the set range during transport, corrective action and emergency measures shall be taken at once and the extent and the duration of the excursion shall be recorded truthfully.

6.4.6 Once the products reach their destination they shall be put into the cold store promptly, and loading, unloading and movement in and out of the store shall be quick.

7 Storage

7.1 At handover the temperature record for the whole transport and the state of the aquatic products shall be checked and the products put into store as soon as possible. Where the temperature or the state of the products is abnormal, the cause shall be found, the matter dealt with promptly and a record made; products that are abnormal and do not meet the requirement shall not be accepted. Before entry to store the certificate of conformity, the labels and other documents shall be checked and the species, size and quantity verified. Live, chilled and frozen products are put into separate zones of the store and the entry information recorded.

7.2 Live aquatic products, once delivered to the place of sale, shall be held or stored under conditions suited to the species, in a clean environment free of toxic substances and off-odour. Where holding is needed, the holding density is settled from the characteristics of the species and the holding time, the holding temperature is brought beforehand close to the transport temperature, and the difference shall not be more than 5 °C. The water used for holding shall meet GB 5749 or GB 11607, and continuous aeration shall be kept up during holding. Live products that need no water holding are kept at a storage temperature and humidity suited to the species.

7.3 Chilled aquatic products held in a chill store should be kept between 0 °C and 4 °C, or may be held in a partly frozen state as required, and the temperature swing of the chill store should not be more than +/- 2 °C. Where ice is used, the product shall be kept covered with ice throughout storage and the melt water drained away promptly.

7.4 Frozen aquatic products shall be stored in a clean, hygienic cold store free of off-odour. The store temperature should not be higher than -18 °C and the temperature swing should be held within +/- 2 °C. Products transferred in at below -12 °C may go straight into store; above -12 °C they shall be refrozen before entering the cold store. Products of different species, sizes, grades and batches shall be stacked separately, and the gap between the product and the four walls shall be not less than 10 cm. Floor pallets shall be used in the store; the stacking height should be such that the packaging is not deformed under pressure and should not go above the lower edge of the outlet of the refrigeration unit. Stored products shall be managed by category and clearly labelled, and a first in first out system shall be run. Enterprises are encouraged to use automatic recording devices in the cold store; where recording is not automatic the store temperature shall be checked at regular intervals, and where a problem is found the cause shall be established, the matter dealt with promptly and a record made.

8 Selling

There shall be fixed premises and facilities suited to the selling of aquatic products. The internal fittings of the premises shall be easy to clean and disinfect, and the selling facilities shall be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at regular intervals.

Premises selling live aquatic products that need holding should have holding facilities meeting the need, and water holding shall have aeration and temperature control equipment as required.

Premises selling chilled aquatic products should have chilling or insulating equipment and the product temperature should be held between 0 °C and 4 °C; where ice is used, there shall be enough of it. Premises selling frozen aquatic products should have frozen storage facilities meeting the need and the product temperature should not be higher than -18 °C.

Products should be displayed with a card showing the product name, species, size, grade and place of origin. The aquatic products sold shall have passed inspection or shall carry supporting documents of conformity, and the label shall meet SC/T 3035.

Ledgers of goods received and goods sold shall be kept, holding at least the product name, size, quantity received, quantity sold, manufacturer, wholesaler and inspection certificate.

9 Records

Information shall be recorded through the distribution stages of receipt, transport, storage and selling, and the records shall reflect truthfully, fully and systematically the technical operations, the control measures and the state of the products at each stage. For some operations audio and video monitoring may be used to make the record.

The original records shall be kept for not less than 6 months after the end of the shelf life of the aquatic products; where no shelf life is stated, they shall be kept for not less than 2 years.