Business

HACCP in shrimp farming

Siri Tookwinas and Suwimon Keerativiriyaporn
Department of Fisheries, Thailand

The authors conducted a training

workshop on the application of HACCP
in shrimp farming in Chennai, India on
the request of MPEDA and NACA.
This article is based on their resource
paper.
The Thai shrimp aquaculture
industry has had an excellent record in
the production of safe products of
consistent quality. However, as
aquaculture production expands, the
industry and regulatory agencies
become more concerned with hazards
that impact on people’s health and
safety. Specific problems which may be
encountered in shrimp aquaculture Processing cocktail shrimp. Taken inside the Union Frozen Food Products Public
products include: Company in Samut Sakhorn Thailand. The company sources out raw materials from
• Contamination by microbial shrimp farms observing good aquaculture practices or CoC in shrimp aquaculture
pathogens e.g. Salmonella, Vibrio assisted by the Department of Fisheries
cholerae.
• Presence of veterinary drugs (and aquaculture. Shrimp has become a aquaculturists and processors to
other substances) that may have major port commodity and its exercise more control over food safety.
hazardous effects on consumers, production, processing and marketing a HACCP is essentially a technique
handlers, and the environment. major source of income of people in the based upon anticipation and
• Residues of aquaculture chemicals industry. prevention of food safety hazards and
or other environmental Environmental impacts of shrimp it may be applied throughout the food
contaminants. have been an increasing concern of chain from producer through to final
A surveillance program for cultured government and the public. The consumer, leading to enhanced food
shrimp can include HACCP at all impacts include mangrove removal, safety and better use of resources.
operations, including the production salinity intrusion on ground waters, The Department of Fisheries
and handling of raw materials, impacts on coastal environment and together with the aquaculture industry
processing operations, the processing resources, and effects of residues of and processing industry has jointly
environment, handling and storage chemical and drugs on health and the developed preventive approaches to
practices, and distribution activities. environment. In order to maintain trust assure control over raw materials, the
This approach reduces reliance on on safety, quality and environmental manufacturing process, the production
analytical tests and the need for concerns, preventive measures are environment, and personnel. It is based
comprehensive inspection of finished taken to reduce the above hazard to on the identification of potential
aquaculture products by dealing with a environment and maintain the survival hazards, application of control
hazard before it impacts on processors of aquaculture species. These measures at critical control points
and consumers. Hazards in shrimp measures include ICZM, farm design (CCP), and monitoring and verifying of
aquaculture include microbiological and management techniques, seawater CCPs thereby enabling the assurance
and chemical hazards associated with irrigation systems, establishment of of food safety during culture and
the inappropriate use of drugs and farmer associations, treatment of processing.
chemicals in aquaculture. shrimp pond effluent, supportive
government policies and regulation. Application in shrimp farming
Background The Thai shrimp aquaculture
industry has had an excellent record for Black tiger shrimp (Peneaus monodon)
Production from shrimp aquaculture in the production of safe products of is cultured for four to five months in
Thailand has increased from 1.2 million consistent quality. Techniques such as earthern ponds and fed with formulated
kg in 1986 to 3.3 million kg in 2003 surveillance and inspection of final pellet feed. Water can be either
(Fisheries Information Center, 2004). products do little to assure the food changed continually throughout
The industry involves 80% small-scale safety. The hazard analysis critical culture period or not at all i.e zero water
farmers and 20% intensive scale control point system (HACCP) enables discharge system. Permitted antibiotics

April-June 2004 (Vol. IX No. 2) 29

Business

or chemicals may be used to treat Figure 1: Generic aquaculture process flow chart and critical control points.
shrimp at larval stages or when shrimp
are found infected. Shrimp is harvested SITE SELECTION
manually. Harvested shrimp is put in
ice within 15 minutes after catch, it is
then sorted and packed in ice and POND PREPARATION
shipped to the processing factory. The
process is depicted by Figure 1.
WATER SUPPLY
Haszard analysis WATER
MANAGEMENT

Specific hazards that may be FARM

CULTURE ENVIRONMENT
encountered in shrimp aquaculture are MANAGEMENT
shown in Table 1:
FRIES FEED
AND OTHER PRODUCTION
Applying HACCP INPUTS

ANTIBIOTIC
The potential hazards in aquaculture OR HARVESTING
CHEMICAL
should be identified, and all activities
associated with production, harvesting,
processing, storage, distribution, and RECEIVAL
marketing evaluated. This includes a
review of:
• The use of antibiotics, and other PROCESSING
veterinary chemicals.
• Potential sources and specific points
of bacterial contamination during PRESERVATION
production and processing.
• The potential for microorganisms to
survive or multiply in aquaculture TRANSPORT
products.
• The risks and the severity of all Note : Fry, feed, and other materials input such as lime, bacteria, premix,
hazards identified. chemicals and permitted antibiotics are assessed as control points
It is necessary to establish whether:
• Pathogenic microorganism/toxins potentially hazardous effects on production, harvesting, processing,
may be present in raw materials. consumers, handlers, and the and distribution.
• Pathogens may contaminate environment. Claims on the potential hazards from
aquaculture products after harvest. It is largely accepted that the Salmonella and Vibrio species in the
In Thailand it is recognized that microbiological quality of the context of shrimp are conflicting.
specific hazards that may be production environment impacts on the Salmonella and Vibrio cholerae are
encountered in shrimp aquaculture microbiological quality of the fish and known to be part of the natural
products include: Contamination by ultimately the processed product. They microflora of brackish water cultured
bacterial and viral parthogens e.g. represent a threat to human health shrimp, and pose a major concern for
Salmonella, Vibrio cholerae, and when they are consumed raw, hence processors and exporters (Reilly and
presence of antibiotics (and other there is needed for control over Kaferstein, 1997). In contrast,
substances) which may have Salmonella has not been recovered

Table 1: Hazards associated with cultured shrimp

Category Examples of hazards

Biological hazards Pathogenic bacteria Salmonella, Shigella, E.coli, Vibrio cholerae,
V.parahaemolyticus, V.vulnificus, Listeria
monocytogenes, etc

Chemical hazards Veterinary residues Hormones, growth regulators, antibiotics such as

chloramphenical, nitrofuran and its metabolites and
permitted antibiotics which residue is not over MRL.

Pesticide residues Herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc

Physical hazards Glass, wood, metal, etc

30 aquaculture Asia
 Business

concerns over residues in shrimp. These Farm registration

prompted studies and a surveillance
program to prevent these hazards All shrimp farms must be registered and
initiated by the Department of Fisheries. obtain permits to operate. General
requirements include: Establishment of
Preventive measures water treatment ponds; lay out
approval by DOF; quality of water
Preventive measures, using HACCP outlet does not exceed a biological
concept, can be developed specifically oxygen demand of 20 mg/l; drainage of
This is the company’s newly acquired 18 to prevent drug residue and chemical mud and brackish water to public water
million baht equipment for LC-MS-MS contamination in aquaculture products ways is not allowed; application of
nitrofuran and metabolites analysis. The and to prevent microbiological good farming practices; and farm
company’s staff have been training with contamination at the farm and hygiene and handling practices should
the fisheries department processing plants. Those measures are be at a satisfactory level (based on
outlined as follows: Codex Guidelines on hygienic practices
Clearly, cultured crustaceans may for the product of aquaculture).
present a threat to public health if they Controls at farm level
are not grown and harvested under Farm inspection
hygienic conditions. Once harvested,
aquaculture species are at risk from Measures taken: Farm inspection ensures that the farm
contamination in the processing plant observes required sanitation and
with a wide range of pathogenic bacteria 1. Register farms operational standards. A farm
derived from the processing 2. Control the uses of feed/antibiotics sanitation checklist was developed
environment, water used in processing, 3. Monitor residue in products from based on Codex Guidelines and used in
equipment, and food handlers. There is farm inspection. The criteria for inspection
need for more research to identify and 4. Mobile unit control of diseases, use are:
assess potential hazards and to of antibiotic and feed Large scale farms of more than 8 ha
quantify the risks. 5. Monitoring the quality of water must institute a farm management
Antibiotic residues became of (both inlet and outlet of farms) program which is approved by DOF.
concern in 1992, when Japan’s health 6. Inspect farm hygiene and post- Farms are inspected by DOF two to
authority rejected some shipments of harvest handling practices. four times a year to verify farm records.
shrimp products from Thailand and 7. Train farmers on good aquaculture Small farms (less than 8 ha.) are
other Southeast Asian countries that practices (GAP), safe use of visited by a mobile unit inspection
were contaminated with oxytetracycline chemotherapeutic agents and good service. DOF operates 22 mobile units
and oxoloinic acid. In 2002, Nitrofuran handling practices in major aquaculture areas, the units
and chloramphenicol came under the inspect approximately 8 farms a week
spotlight of the European market. The and rotate their visits until all areas are
US Food and Drug Authority expressed covered, which often means not less
than 5 inspections per farm over a year.
Table 2

Potential Critical Control Points Preventive Controls Responsible Division

Farm management farm registration Coastal Aquaculture and Fisheries

Research and Development Bureau

Feed production feed control Feed Research and Control Institue

Farming practices control uses of antibiotics Coastal Aquaculture Health Research

Institute

Farming practices mobile unit control Coastal Aquaculture and Fisheries

(monitor quality of water, Research and Development Bureau
antibiotic residue, shrimp)
monitoring residue in raw
material

Processing plants inspection of processing Fish Inspection and Quality

establishment pre shipment Control Division
inspection of finished
products

April-June 2004 (Vol. IX No. 2) 31

Table 3 Feed quality control

Country Name Maximum level In order to prevent the use –

(ppb) inadvertent or intentional - of feed
EU Nitrofuran (Metabolites) (ppb) containing antibiotics, the following
shrimp, prawn, fish SEM = 1.00 control measures are enforced:
AHD = 1.00 Registration of feed formulas; sampling
AOZ = 0.30 feed/analysis for antibiotic residue
AMOZ = 0.30 (from plants and farms); and inspection
References except Germany SEM of feed mills.
0.50 ppb
Farm monitoring
Chloramphenicol (ppb)
shrimp, prawn, fish 0.30
Twenty-two mobile units operated by
References except Germany 0.20 ppb
them Coastal Aquaculture and
Fisheries Research and Development
Oxolinic acid (ppm)
Centers conduct surveillance and
fin Fish (only forzen fish) 0.30
provide technical advice on: Farm
sanitation monitoring; disease control;
3-MCPD (ppm)
water quality monitoring at inlet and
Fish sance, Oyster sance 0.02
outlet; soil quality inspection and
Japan Oxytetracycline (ppm) determination; quality of surrounding
shrimp, prawn, fish 0.20 water; antibiotic residue in shrimp from
pond; and use of feed and antibiotics.
Oxolinic acid (ppm) A farm sanitation rating report has
shrimp, prawn, fish Not detected been developed following the Codex
Code of Hygienic Practices for the
Switzerland Nitrofuran (Metabolites) (ppb) product of aquaculture.
shrimp, prawn, fish SEM = 1.00
AHD = 1.00 Raw materials control
AOZ = 0.30
AMOZ = 0.30 The effectiveness of the surveillance
program at farm level is verified by
Chloramphenicol (ppb) determining the level of drug residue in
shrimp, prawn, fish 0.30 shrimp raw materials from farms. The 17
units equipped with HPLC were set up
China Nitrofuran (Metabolites) (ppb) in major aquaculture areas to inspect
Culture shrimp, surimi SEM = 1.00 the quality of shrimp prior to
AHD = 1.00 harvesting. The activities include:
AOZ = 0.30 Establish record of farm; sampling
AMOZ = 0.30 shrimp from farm (> 3 months) prior to
harvesting to determine level of drug
Chloramphenicol (ppb) and chemical residue using
Culture shrimp, surimi 0.30 microbioassay. A certificate of
antibiotic-free raw materials will be
USA Chloramphenicol (ppb) given for shrimp that are drug free. One
Culture shrimp 0.30 unit equipped with LC-MS-MS was set
up to inspect nitrofuran in shrimp
Oxytetracycline (ppm) before harvesting.
Salmon, Catfish and Lobster 2.00
Processing plant monitoring
Canada Nitrofuran (Metabolites) (ppb)
shrimp, prawn, fish SEM = 1.00 To prevent microbiological hazards
AHD = 1.00 such as Salmonella, monitoring of
AOZ = 0.30 processing plants are conducted. In
AMOZ = 0.30 addition to microbiological hazards,
chemical hazards such as antibiotics
Chloramphenicol (ppb) and chemical residues, which are of
shrimp, prawn, fish 0.30 concern to a verification program are
prevented through monitoring of
Oxytetracycline (ppm) sanitation, hygiene and processing (p48)

32 aquaculture Asia
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Continued from page 32 wholesomeness. implementation should be guided by

practices of the plant and verification For drug residue, shipments are scientific evidence of risks to human
of end product quality. Monitored are: examined by: health.
• Sanitation, hygiene, good • Sampling for antibiotic residues of A combination of measures are
manufacturing practice as a basic the group of tetracycline, penicillin observed to prevent or control disease
quality control program. and others using micro-bioassay outbreaks. HACCP would be an
• Processors must demonstrate a • Sampling for oxolinic acid using effective complement to health
Quality Control program based on HPLC management practices. HACCP
HACCP. • Sampling for chloramphenicol using application, along with observance of
• Quality system verified by DOF. HPLC Good Aquaculture Practice (GAP) or
• Processing plants are inspected 2-4 • Sampling for nitrofuran and its Code of Conduct for sustainable
times/plant/year, for sanitation, metabolites using LC-MS-MS aquaculture (CoC), enhance the overall
hygiene practices, quality control For microbiological hazards, shipments effort at promoting sustainable and
system, laboratories and record at are determined for pathogenic bacteria profitable aquaculture.
Critical Control Points and sanitation and other microorganisms based on the
record. Those that pass the grade requirements of the market. The References
are included in the List of Approved maximum level for antibiotics and other Tookwinas, S. and S. Suwanrangsi 1996 Hazard Control
in Aquaculture. Page 338-391 in R.E. Martin, R.L.
Fish Processing Plants and issued contaminants imposed by a number of Collette and J.W. Slavin, editors. Fish Inspection,
an Approval Number. importing countries or blocks are as per Quality Control and HACCP ; A Global Focus,
• Sanitary Certificate and Certificate of table 3. Proceeding of the Conference Held in May 19-24,
1996 Arlington, Virginia, Techinnomic Pub. Co.,
Analysis of the shipment are issued, INC. USA.
on request, to processing Conclusion Fish Inspection and Quality Control Division. 2004.
The Maximum Level for Antibiotic and
establishment and shipment that Contamination Sustance in Fisheries Products,
meet standard requirements. Preventing hazards to people’s safety Department of Fisheries, Bangkok.
Fisheries Information Center. 2004. Fisheries Statistic
and health to human from cultured of Thailand, Department of Fisheries, Bangkok
Product monitoring products can be made more effective (contact information).
by the application of HACCP at the Lima dos Santos, C.A. 2002. Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point and Aquaculture. Page103-119 in
As required still, by import authorities, farm, in other words, before the raw M.L. Jahneke, E.S. Garrett, A. Reilly, R.E. Martin and
shipment of fishery products must be material even goes into the processing E. Cole, editors. Public Animal and Environmental
Aquaculture Health Issues, Wiley-Interscience, Inc.
accompanied with a certificate stating plant. Lima dos Santos (2002) said that Reilly, A. and F. Kaferstein. 1997. Food Safety Hazards
the quality or laboratory results. This HACCP can be applied through the and the Application of the Principles of the Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control in Aquaculture
requires sampling and analysis of end food chain from primary production to Production. Aquaculture Res. 1997(28): 735-752.
products for safety, quality and final consumption but stressed that its

48 aquaculture Asia