Chapter: Operations & Documentation
Section: Process Controls
Sub-Section: F.B.14.2 Cooking or Pasteurizing

Elements

The regulatory requirements contained in this guideline will be met when:

F.B.14.2 (01) The cooking or pasteurizing process achieves a time and internal temperature combination required to produce a ready-to-eat fish product. (Risk Ranking: Significant High)

F.B.14.2 (02) The equipment used to process a cooked or pasteurized ready-to-eat fish product is regularly tested for cold spots and adjustments are made to the process or to the equipment to control cold spots. (Risk Ranking: Medium)

Rationale

The processes of cooking and pasteurizing result in a heat-treated ready-to-eat (RTE) fish product. These processes eliminate pathogenic bacteria of public health concern or reduce their numbers to acceptable levels. There are a variety of fish products that may be cooked or pasteurized, including whole fish or parts of fish, fish sticks, fish cakes, seafood chowders, soups and stews.

RTE products are fish products which do not require preparation except thawing or reheating before consumption. RTE products can include RTE cooked products. These are products which are cooked in bulk and then packaged. RTE products can also include products which are RTE pasteurized in the container. These are products which are packaged or filled into individual containers, sealed and then heat processed.

RTE products which are cooked or pasteurized in the container are different from canned, commercially sterile products, which are products packed in individual containers, hermetically sealed, then thermally processed to achieve commercial sterility (Refer to FPG Process Controls – Alternative, new, novel or unique process controls). Hot smoking is another heat treatment process, that when combined with salting, can result in a RTE fish product (Refer to FPG Process Controls - Smoking).

The process control procedures for RTE cooked or pasteurized products should contain the following technical process information:

  • the type of equipment,
  • the time and temperature of the heating medium if the cold spot temperature is not measured directly,
  • the time and temperature reached at the cold spot of the product,
  • in addition, refer to FPG Process Controls – General.

Time and Internal Product Temperature

The time and internal temperature combinations achieved during the cooking or pasteurizing process must destroy or inactivate pathogens to produce a safe fish product.

For example:

If the fish product is to be aerobically packaged, a 5D process for reduction of Listeria monocytogenes is required. One example of a method to achieve this is to use the time/temperature combinations in Table 1. To identify the type of packaging, refer to FPG Process Controls - Final Product Controls.

Table 1. Times for a given temperature, minimum holding time at that temperature (minimum dwell time) needed to obtain a 5D lethality of Listeria monocytogenes
Internal Product Temperature (degrees Celsius) Time for 5D Process (Minutes) Listeria monocytogenes
63 11.7
64 8.3
65 5.9
66 4.2
67 3.0
68 2.1
69 1.5
70 1.1
71 0.8
72 0.5
73 0.4
74 0.3
75 0.2
76 0.1
77 0.1
78 0.1
79 0.05
80 0.03
81 0.02
82 0.02
83 0.01
84 0.01
85 0.01
86 0.004
87 0.003

Note: D65°C = 1.18 minutes, z equals 6.7°C (from Embarek and Huss 1993)

Reference: Embarek, P.K.B. and Huss, H.H. 1993. Heat resistance of Listeria monocytogenes in vacuum packaged pasteurized fish fillets. International Journal of Food Microbiology 20:85-95.

If the fish product is to be anaerobically packaged, a 6D process for reduction of Clostridium botulinum is required. One example of a method to achieve this is to use the time/temperature combinations in Table 2. To identify the type of packaging, refer to FPG Process Controls - Final Product Controls.

Table 2. Times for a given temperature, minimum holding time at that temperature (minimum dwell time) needed to obtain a 6D lethality of Clostridium botulinum
Internal Product Temperature (degrees Celsius) Time for 6D Process (Minutes) Clostridium botulinum
85 51.8
86 37.0
87 27.0
88 19.2
89 13.9
90 10.0
91 7.9
92 6.3
93 5.0
94 4.0
95 3.2
96 2.5
97 2.0
98 1.6
99 1.3
100 1.0

Note - In products containing Dungeness crab, the time-temperature combinations in Table 2 may not be sufficient in achieving a 6D reduction of Clostridium botulinum.

Reference: Food and Drug Administration Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance (4th edition).

Achieving the time and internal temperature combination depends on factors such as:

  • the initial and desired end-product temperatures,
  • the size, shape and thickness of the fish product,
  • the spacing between the products and the walls, ceiling and floor of the cooking device,
  • the location of products within the cooking device,
  • the air movement (if applicable),
  • the heating medium used (for example, steam, water, air).

Cold Spot Testing

Equipment used for cooking or pasteurization should be regularly (e.g. as recommended in manufacturer’s instructions, or annually) tested for the presence of cold spots. Cold spots can result in uneven heating and inconsistent temperatures which may permit survival of pathogens in RTE products.

One example of an acceptable method to determine cold spots is to refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for the equipment or consult with the manufacturer of the equipment.

The written process control procedure includes instructions for cold-spot testing that are specific to the equipment used (Refer to FPG Process Controls – General).

Best practices for cooking and pasteurizing

  • loading instructions for cooking or pasteurizing devices (e.g. ovens) should be provided to equipment operators,
  • products should be placed in cooking devices in a way that avoids crowding and provides adequate spacing and effective circulation of the heating medium,
  • products processed together should have uniform weight and size,
  • the internal temperature of a number of fish products at various locations in the cooking device should be monitored to ensure that internal temperatures are accurately and representatively measured throughout the lot of product,
  • the products that are monitored should be the largest pieces, located in the coldest spot(s) within the cooking devices,
  • when using cooking devices such as kettles, pots or water baths, the temperature should be monitored in the part of the vessel that is slowest to heat
  • after fish products are cooked or pasteurized, the safety of the products should be maintained by:

Regulatory References

Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001; O. Reg. 465/19 s. 25 (3), 51, 52, 53 (3), 54 (3), 56

    1. Equipment used at a fish processing plant to cook, heat, treat, refrigerate or freeze a fish product must be designed and maintained so that it is effective in achieving any standards or temperatures that are required by this Regulation.
    1. The operator of a fish processing operation in respect of which a licence is required under this Regulation shall ensure that written process control procedures are developed, implemented and monitored to effectively identify any risk of contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials and to prevent, eliminate or minimize any identified risk.
    2. The operator shall ensure that at the time the process control procedures referred to in subsection (1) are performed and monitored, a record is created that includes,
      1. the date the procedure was performed and monitored;
      2. the results of the monitoring, including any deviations from the process control procedures; and
      3. the actions taken in response to any deviations from the process control procedures, including disposing of the fish product or taking measures to produce a safe fish product.
    3. The operator shall ensure that the process control procedures referred to in subsection (1),
      1. are reviewed as needed in order to,
        1. evaluate whether the procedures are being properly implemented, and
        2. verify the effectiveness of the implemented procedures with respect to producing a safe fish product; and
      2. are updated as needed.
    4. The operator shall ensure that at the time a review referred to in clause (3) (a) is undertaken, a record is created that includes,
      1. the date the review was performed; and
      2. the results of the review.
    5. The operator shall ensure that every record created under this section,
      1. is kept for at least one year from the date the record is created; and
      2. is readily accessible.
  2. The operator of a fish processing operation in respect of which a licence is required under this Regulation shall ensure that any regulatable activities engaged in by the operation are performed in a manner that minimizes the risk of contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials and produces fish products that are safe.
    1. The operator shall ensure that each fish product referred to in subsection (1) is prepared in accordance with its corresponding recipe.
    1. The operator shall ensure that with respect to a fish product that is not a ready-to-eat fish product but has the appearance of or could be mistaken for a ready-to-eat fish product, the labelling or packaging materials used for the product,
      1. state that the product requires cooking before consumption; and
      2. include comprehensive cooking instructions.
  1. The operator of a fish processing operation in respect of which a licence is required under this Regulation shall ensure that every fish product processed, labelled or packaged by the operation is,
    1. processed, packaged, labelled or stored in accordance with this Regulation; and
    2. safe.