The Food Safety (Fishery Products) Regulations 1992

Regulation 3(h)

SCHEDULE 4STORAGE AND TRANSPORT REQUIREMENTS (PROVIDED FOR BY CHAPTER VIII OF THE ANNEX TO THE COUNCIL DIRECTIVE)

1.  Fishery products must, during storage and transport, be kept at the temperatures laid down in these Regulations, and in particular:—

(a)fresh or thawed fishery products and cooked and chilled crustacean and molluscan shellfish products must be kept at a temperature approaching that of melting ice;

(b)frozen fishery products, with the exception of frozen fish in brine intended for the manufacture of canned foods, must be kept at an even temperature of 18C or less in all parts of the product, after temperature stabilisation, and allowing for the possibility of brief upward fluctuations of not more than 3C, during transport.

2.  Where frozen fishery products are transported from a cold storage plant to an approved establishment to be thawed on arrival for the purposes of either preparation or processing and where the distance to be covered does not exceed 50 km or, if the distance is greater, the anticipated duration of the journey is less than one hour, the food authority may grant a derogation from the conditions laid down in paragraph 1(b).

3.  Products may not be stored or transported with other products which may contaminate them or affect their hygiene, unless they are packaged in such a way as to provide satisfactory protection.

4.  Vehicles used for the transport of fishery products must be constructed and equipped in such a way that the temperatures laid down in these Regulations can be maintained throughout the period of transport. If ice is used to chill the fishery products, adequate drainage must be provided in order to ensure that water from melted ice does not stay in contact with the products. The inside surfaces of the means of transport must be finished in such a way that they do not adversely affect the fishery products. They must be smooth and easy to clean and disinfect.

5.  Means of transport used for fishery products may not be used for transporting other products likely to impair or contaminate fishery products, except where the fishery products can be safeguarded against contamination by such transport being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected immediately prior to each occasion it is used for fishery products.

6.  Fishery products may not be transported in a vehicle or container which is not clean and or which should have been disinfected.

7.  The transport conditions of fishery products to be placed on the market alive must not adversely affect the fishery products.