5‑4 Operational hygiene5‑4 Operational hygiene

5‑4 Operational hygiene

(1) This section applies in relation to a proposed arrangement for operations to prepare prescribed fish or fish products at a registered establishment. Establishment and its equipment (2) The proposed arrangement must provide for measures in relation to the establishment and its equipment to ensure that fish and fish products at the establishment are not contaminated by environmental contamination (including airborne or waterborne contamination). Hygiene controls for processing (3) The proposed arrangement must provide for measures: (a) to protect the fish or fish products and their ingredients from contamination by any thing or activity; and (b) to minimise the growth in the fish or fish products and their ingredients of pathogens that could adversely affect the export of the fish or fish products as food that are fit for human consumption given the conditions under which they are to be stored, handled and transported; and (c) to ensure that the fitness for human consumption of the fish and fish products and their ingredients is not otherwise adversely affected. (4) Without limiting subsection (3), the proposed arrangement must provide for measures to prevent fish or fish products that are not fit for human consumption from being a source of contamination for prescribed fish or fish products or their ingredients. (5) Also without limiting subsection (3), the proposed arrangement must provide for measures to validate the effectiveness of temperature controls required under Part 2 of this Chapter. Evaluation of fitness for consumption (6) The proposed arrangement must provide for procedures to evaluate the fitness for human consumption of: (a) all fish and fish products (including returned products) received at the establishment; and (b) all ingredients received at the establishment; and (c) all fish and fish products prepared at the establishment for export as food. Requirement relating to water (7) The proposed arrangement must provide for all water (including used water, recirculated water and ice) used at the establishment to be potable unless the water is used only in circumstances (specified in the arrangement) where there is no risk of the water coming into contact with or contaminating fish or fish products. (8) However, the proposed arrangement may provide for clean sea water to be used at the establishment in relation to operations to prepare fish and fish products (other than crocodile meat). (9) If subsection (8) applies, the approved arrangement must provide for measures to ensure that the use of clean sea water does not adversely affect the fitness for human consumption of the fish or fish products. (10) The proposed arrangement must record details of the system of controls (including in relation to treatment, testing and verification) to be implemented to ensure that water used at the establishment is potable. (11) The proposed arrangement must provide for the analysis of potable water for the presence of E. coli to be performed by a laboratory accredited by NATA to perform the analysis.