HACCP for Seafood Restaurants: A Complete EU Compliance Guide

Introduction

Many seafood restaurants face audit failures due to missing documentation for parasite freezing, particularly for sushi and ceviche. This oversight can lead to serious health risks and significant penalties from regulatory bodies. Don't let a simple paperwork issue put your business at risk.

What You'll Learn

• How to effectively manage parasite risks in raw fish dishes.
• Best practices for monitoring histamine levels in scombroid species.
• Key supplier checks to ensure seafood safety from delivery to serving.

What Auditors Check First

• Documentation for parasite freezing, especially for sushi and ceviche.
• Temperature logs for fish deliveries, ensuring they are below 2°C.
• Shellfish movement documents, including harvester registration numbers.

Addressing these areas proactively will not only help you pass audits but also ensure the safety of your customers and the integrity of your seafood offerings.

Hazards Specific to Seafood Restaurants

Biological Hazards: Key pathogens include Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Anisakis simplex, and Norovirus.

On a busy Saturday when you receive a delivery of oysters from a supplier, ensure they come from Class A waters. If you can't verify the source, you risk serving contaminated shellfish, which can lead to serious illness.

Control measure: Only source shellfish from Class A waters and maintain a cold chain below 5°C. For fish served raw or undercooked, freeze at -20°C for 24 hours (or -35°C for 15 hours) to kill parasites, as mandated by EC 853/2004 Annex III Section VIII.

Chemical Hazards: Monitor for histamine in scombroid species like tuna and mackerel.

On a busy Friday night, if you receive a shipment of tuna that has been delivered above 5°C, reject it immediately. Histamine can form quickly at these temperatures, and once it does, you cannot reverse it.

Control measure: Keep scombroid species below 5°C from catch to plate, with no breaks in the cold chain. Regularly test histamine levels, ensuring they are below 200 mg/kg (EC 2073/2005 Annex I).

Physical Hazards: Be aware of potential foreign objects like fish bones and shell fragments.

On a busy evening, if a server reports a customer choking on a fish bone, it can lead to a serious incident and liability for your restaurant. Train your staff to inspect fish carefully and educate them on proper serving techniques.

Control measure: Implement a thorough inspection process for all fish before serving. Ensure all staff are trained on handling and serving fish safely to minimize risks.

Seasonal Considerations

In summer, the risk of Vibrio parahaemolyticus peaks due to warm coastal waters. Source shellfish only from monitored beds.

During Christmas and Easter, high-volume service can lead to cold chain breaks. Ensure that staff are aware of the importance of maintaining temperatures below 5°C during prep rushes.

Critical Control Points

• Freezing for Parasite Kill
  • What to measure:
    • Temperature of fish during freezing.
  • Exact limit:
    • -20°C for 24 hours or -35°C for 15 hours.
  • How to monitor:
    • Use calibrated thermometers; check every delivery and log temperatures daily.
  • Corrective action:
    • If not frozen properly, do not serve raw/undercooked fish and re-freeze or dispose of it immediately.
• Histamine Control
  • What to measure:
    • Temperature of scombroid species (e.g., tuna, mackerel).
  • Exact limit:
    • Keep below 5°C from catch to plate.
  • How to monitor:
    • Use temperature data loggers and check every 2 hours during service.
  • Corrective action:
    • If above 5°C, do not serve; discard the fish to prevent histamine formation.
• Shellfish Classification
  • What to measure:
    • Shellfish harvester registration number and classification.
  • Exact limit:
    • Only source from Class A waters for raw consumption; Class B requires purification.
  • How to monitor:
    • Verify registration number and classification on every delivery; check against supplier documentation.
  • Corrective action:
    • If Class B or unverified, do not serve raw and return to supplier.
• Core Cooking Temperature
  • What to measure:
    • Internal temperature of cooked fish and shellfish.
  • Exact limit:
    • 63°C for fish; 90°C for shellfish for at least 90 seconds.
  • How to monitor:
    • Use probe thermometers; check every batch before serving.
  • Corrective action:
    • If below temperature, continue cooking until the required temperature is reached.

Common Mistakes

• Mistake:
  • No documented proof of parasite freezing for sushi/ceviche. → Fix: Keep a detailed log of freezing times and temperatures for all raw fish.
• Mistake:
  • Histamine levels not monitored in tuna deliveries. → Fix: Check and log temperatures on all tuna deliveries immediately upon receipt.
• Mistake:
  • Thawing fish at room temperature instead of under refrigeration. → Fix: Always thaw fish in the refrigerator or under cold running water to maintain safe temperatures.

Supplier management is key to maintaining seafood safety in your restaurant. You need to verify the quality and safety of every delivery. Implementing rigorous receiving checks minimizes the risk of pathogens and ensures your diners' safety.

Delivery Acceptance Checklist

• Verify shellfish harvester registration number on every delivery.
• Check fish delivery temperature:
  • must be <2°C for fresh fish.
• Inspect for Anisakis visually on receipt of fresh wild-caught fish.
• Document parasite freezing logs for sushi/ceviche fish:
  • -20°C for 24h or -35°C for 15h.
• Ensure tuna/mackerel delivery temperature is <5°C - reject if above.

When to Reject a Delivery

• Any tuna or mackerel delivery above 5°C, as histamine development is irreversible.
• Shellfish from non-registered harvesters or Class B waters without purification.
• Fish showing signs of spoilage, such as an off smell or slimy texture.
• Inadequate documentation for shellfish movement, including registration numbers.

Daily Monitoring Checklist

• Check fish delivery temperature (<2°C).
• Verify shellfish harvester registration number for each delivery.
• Inspect for Anisakis in fresh wild-caught fish.
• Monitor freezing logs for parasite control:
  • -20°C for 24h or -35°C for 15h.
• Record histamine levels for tuna deliveries (must be <5°C).
• Ensure shellfish are sourced only from Class A waters for raw consumption.
• Check core cooking temperature:
  • 63°C for fish, 90°C for shellfish for 90s.
• Monitor ambient temperature of refrigeration units (<5°C).

What Records Auditors Expect

• Freezing logs for all fish served raw or undercooked.
• Temperature records for fish deliveries upon receipt.
• Histamine monitoring records for incoming tuna and scombroid species.
• Shellfish movement documents including registration numbers.
• Training records for staff on allergen awareness and food safety protocols.

Staff Training Requirements

• Sushi chefs must understand parasite risks and maintain freezing logs.
• Front-of-house staff need allergen knowledge for crustaceans, molluscs, and fish (Top 14 allergens).
• All staff should know that 'smell test' is not a valid safety check; use thermometers instead.
• Regular refresher training sessions on monitoring practices and record-keeping.

To operate safely in the seafood restaurant sector, comply with EC 853/2004 Annex III Section VIII for fishery products, EC 2073/2005 Annex I for histamine limits, and EC 852/2004 Annex II Ch. IX(5) for temperature control. Monitor key pathogens like Vibrio and Anisakis, implement mandatory freezing protocols, and maintain strict cold chain management.

Document all processes to avoid common audit failures and ensure staff are trained on specific risks and procedures.

Quick-Start Action Plan

1. Review and update your supplier list to ensure shellfish comes only from Class A waters.
2. Implement a parasite freezing log for any fish served raw - ensure fish is frozen at -20°C for 24h or -35°C for 15h.
3. Train sushi chefs on parasite risks and assign them responsibility for the freezing log.
4. Check delivery temperatures for fish to ensure they are consistently below 2°C upon receipt.
5. Establish a daily monitoring system for histamine levels in tuna deliveries to prevent exceeding 200mg/kg.

Generate your free Seafood Restaurants HACCP plan at ilovehaccp.com/builder - it takes under 10 minutes and covers all the points in this guide.

For practical implementation, review haccp-for-food-trucks-eu and haccp-for-gelato-and-ice-cream-parlors-eu before finalizing your HACCP records.