Recently, several shrimp containers from India to Qatar Port are being rejected upon arrival. Salmonella is detected in some of their samples and the containers in transit to Qatar are being returned. This is not the first rejection of Indian seafood containers. Containers from Bangladeshi have been reported similar issues and been returned to where they from.
Due to these circumstances, Qatar authorities have stated a temporary ban, forbidding the import of fresh and frozen marine products such as fish, shrimp, squid, mussels, and oysters from India and Bangladesh.
No doubt, such ban is a huge impact to global seafood industry, since Qatar, as one of the richest countries in the world. Exporters are expecting communication between authorities of both countries to agree on the necessary procedures to ensure the quality of the seafood exported to Qatar.
About Salmonella （Salmonellosis）
Salmonella is a group of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis. Salmonella can be spread by food handlers who do not wash their hands and/or the surfaces and tools they use between food preparation steps, and when people eat raw or undercooked foods. Salmonella can also spread from animals to people. People who have direct contact with certain animals, including poultry and reptiles, can spread the bacteria from the animals to food if they do not practice proper hand washing hygiene before handling food. Pets can also spread bacteria within the home environment if they eat food contaminated with Salmonella.
Since Salmonella is carried by animals and can contaminate with direct or indirect contact in freshwater, it’s best to prevent this issue by testing water quality and enforcing strict regulations that involve testing products before they are imported or exported.
Remember to follow the Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill guidelines to help keep safe from Salmonella.
How to Ensure the Quality of Seafood?
From raw material to the delicacy in the plate, seafood goes a long way to meet every consumer. The ‘long way’ can be divided into three parts: Catching, Processing and Shipping. And procedures are made to ensure the quality of seafood on the basis of different phases.
- Source tracing
To guarantee that the seafood is from the right place clients want （since the price and the features may vary according to the origin）, labels are printed on the package of seafood. Big vendors like Walmart have published the strategy that they will provide as many traceable seafoods as possible in 2019. The traceability encourages clients to purchase with confidence and eliminates price pushing through forgery of origin. However, source tracing has its limited functions and fails to ensure the high standard of processing and shipping.
2.Process Monitoring
To give the clients an overall guarantee and set their mind at ease, improvement like process monitoring is invented. At first, people simply printed the way of processing on the label. With the rising demand of process transparency, the job is getting more and more demanding.
Take Norway Salmon as an example, each salmon is issued a unique passport, allowing client to have a clear idea of the whole procedure. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority will monitor the food safety standards from the farm to the table to guarantee the quality of all Norwegian salmon products.
Currently, the monitoring is not covering all seafoods, and do not have a clear standard of what, when，where and how. In this situation, certifications like BRC, MSC, and ASC could make sure that the related parts like farmers, packers, processers and are qualified based on food safety.
- Pre-shipment Inspection and Loading Survey
Usually pre-shipment includes checking the appearance, packaging, glazing, weight and quantity, while loading survey emphasizes container hygiene, temperature and recording.
It is considered to be the most important procedure when doing quality control. Since shipment is the final step before the client receives the cargo, quality can be ruined if not inspected and followed before and during the shipment. It doesn’t even matter how good the traceability is, or how comprehensive the monitoring is, only a good ending can ensure a good order.
Ocean Treasure’s Solution
To be a qualified food supplier, Ocean Treasure provides pictures, videos and certifications as long as our clients need them. To be an outstanding food supplier, Ocean Treasure provides the most considerate quality control services to our clients. With a dedicated team and professional knowledge, Ocean Treasure can ensure that every client will receive products they desire with surprise and satisfaction.
Other non-aquatic products like vegetables & fruits (https://www.ocean-treasure.com/products/vegetables/) are also available!
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