10 Questions for the Seafood Safety Program

Articles

Sea Briefs is a report on the results of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium.

Editor: Laura Bowie

This newsletter is available in PDF format from:
masgc.org/seabriefs

MASGC supports applied, interdisciplinary marine science research, education and outreach efforts to foster the sustainable development and management of the Mississippi and Alabama coasts and nearshore ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico

Mississippi-Alabama
Sea Grant Consortium
703 East Beach Drive
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
Phone: 228-818-8838
E-mail: seabriefs@masgc.org
MASGP 09-011-02

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10 Questions for the Seafood Safety Program

ROBERT BECKER is a seafood technologist with the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC) and the Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center in Mobile, Ala. Robert joined the Sea Grant staff on a parttime basis in 2004 after a full career with the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a seafood technologist in Sea Grant’s seafood safety program, he routinely provides consulting services to seafood processors and other food industries throughout the United States and in foreign countries.

1. What is your background and what experience do you bring to your position at Sea Grant?
I am retired from the FDA after 35 years of government service. I was an investigator, making regulatory inspections of the processors in various industries regulated by FDA. When I retired in 2001, I was the regional seafood specialist for FDA’s southeast region. I have taught the FDA Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) course to hundreds of students over the past 13 years. HACCP is a management system that addresses food safety through the analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.

2. What indicated that there was a need for the seafood safety services that Sea Grant provides?
As I conducted FDA inspections, it became obvious to me that the seafood industry in Alabama and Mississippi was not fully aware of FDA’s responsibilities and authority. Many of these firms are family-owned businesses and need assistance in responding to FDA and other regulatory agencies. They also need assistance with their mandatory HACCP program and routine sanitation program.

3. What is the purpose of the Sea Grant seafood safety program?
The purpose of the Sea Grant seafood safety program is to provide assistance to the seafood industry in Alabama and Mississippi in implementing mandatory regulations and requirements. An important part of the program is the education and training classes that we offer for personnel in the seafood industry.

4. What services do you provide to the industry?
At the request of industry, the program provides audits of their processing procedures, review of their FDA required HACCP documents and monitoring records, and review of their quality control and sanitation programs. Assistance in getting started with new products is also available. In the past, we have addressed species identification issues and product labeling requirements, too. Education available to industry includes training of plant personnel in sanitation and other related areas. In addition, we provide formal training courses including FDA seafood HACCP courses in Alabama and Mississippi on an annual basis.

5. Describe ways that your program has had an impact on the local seafood industry.
This program has been able to help the seafood industry better understand their responsibilities and to properly respond to the requests and requirements of the various regulatory authorities. Most notably, the seafood HACCP courses provide required training for plant personnel and for the seafood regulators in Alabama and Mississippi. In addition, following Hurricane Katrina, we were able to help reconstruct the required documentation for some of the firms, while they were rebuilding their facilities.

GLEN BRYANT is the president of Bryant Products, Inc., in Bayou La Batre, Ala. Bryant Products handles a variety of seafood products and has been in business in coastal Alabama since 1987.

6. How has the Sea Grant seafood safety program helped your business?
All of the employees associated with seafood products at Bryant Products, Inc., have been trained by Sea Grant’s seafood safety program. In the past, we have received assistance with product labeling information and with proper identification of fish.
Also, Sea Grant has helped us develop the various HACCP and sanitation programs required by the FDA. For a small-Business owner, that help is invaluable. I feel that I can call Sea Grant regarding any food safety problems that come up, and they would help us work through the issues.

7. How did you use the information provided?
The guidance from Sea Grant was used to make necessary changes required to comply with applicable FDA regulations. Proper product labeling protects both the product itself and those who consume it.Sea Grant also trained our employees
to properly identify fish so that we would be in compliance regarding proper limits and requirements.

8. How were you able to get support for the program?
After several years, Bryant Products has enjoyed a comfortable relationship with the personnel at Sea Grant. Using a single point of contact in Mr. Becker, I feel we could call any time and explain an issue that might come up, and Mr. Becker will find the proper person to address the problem.

9. What impact has it had?
Because the assistance from Mr. Becker comes with many years of experience with FDA and is part of Sea Grant’s outreach and extension program, Bryant Products has been able to work through a variety of situations with minimal loss of money or product. Also, the cost for training and guidance is minimal.

10. How do you think other organizations could benefit from the services of the seafood safety program?
It’s simple: all seafood processors must have HACCP programs, and when followed as required, they should have a zero loss of product, which is very important to small, seafood plants. However, the program has many uncertainties that come up when trying to implement it. Through Sea Grant’ extension service, we have contacts through Mr. Becker that can step in and help when trying to interpret and implement the various regulations and requirements of the FDA.