Europe drafts revised tuna rules to tackle fraud

The European Commission has proposed a change to tuna freezing rules to clamp down on food fraud and the risk of consumers getting sick.

Current rules require vessels to have freezing equipment with sufficient capacity to freeze as quickly as possible in a continuous process and achieve a core temperature of no higher than -18 degrees C (-0.4 degrees F). Freezing vessels must also have enough refrigeration equipment to maintain fishery products in storage holds at the same temperature.

Where the whole fish intended for canning is frozen in brine, the temperature cannot be more than -9 degrees C (15.8 degrees F). Even if the whole fish is later frozen at -18 degrees C (-0.4 degrees F), it can still only be used for canning.

Histamine risk
Official controls carried out by national authorities and audits by the EU Commission have shown that freezer vessels could not reach -0.4 degrees F for freezing tuna in brine.

These inspections found certain businesses illegally sold fish frozen in brine at -9 degrees C (15.8 degrees F) as fresh tuna. Operators use additives to change the color and make it look like fresh tuna. The EU Commission said this is a fraudulent practice, which exposes consumers to health risks, as it can lead to an excessive production of histamine and result in scombroid syndrome.

A number of Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications have been posted about histamine above the limit in vacuum-packed thawed tuna loins, treated with additives to change their color and make them appear as fresh. Other alerts concern scombroid food poisoning associated with consumption of such tuna products. Member states have taken measures following official controls, but recent RASFF notifications show that the issue has not been resolved.

Consultations with authorities in member states and stakeholder organizations have shown that freezing technology on vessels has improved and it is now possible to freeze tuna in brine at -18 degrees C (-0.4 degrees F), while maintaining organoleptic characteristics, and ensuring its safety.

The draft regulation establishes conditions for freezing tuna in brine at -0.4 degrees F on freezer vessels. Capacity of the ship that caught and froze tuna should be identified during approval by a validation plan. This will facilitate official controls, by making it easier to identify tuna caught and frozen by vessels that have the appropriate freezing capacity.

Freezer vessels should continuously monitor and record temperature of the brine, via electronic measurement. Food businesses should make these records available, upon request, to member states’ authorities, during official controls.

Summary of feedback
A dozen comments were received on the plans with the majority in favor, with benefits including increased consumer protection.

Europêche, the representative body for fishermen in the European Union, said it welcomed the change in legislation which clarifies rules for freezing tuna on board and goes towards a level playing field between EU fleets subject to strict sanitary controls and certifications, and non-EU fleets exporting to the EU market.

However, the Korea Overseas Fisheries Association, which supports 50 Korean distant-water fishing companies expressed concerns and wanted clarity on some parts of the draft regulation as it said changes could significantly impact trade with the EU.

The group said it was not currently technically feasible to monitor temperature of the brine from onshore in real-time. Vessels are able to monitor the temperature onboard.

“The amended provisions require operators to establish a validation plan, including coherent kinetic studies and a correlation curve between brine and core temperature. We would appreciate further clarification on the specific expectations for this plan such as the research subjects, methods, and required contents.”

Korean ships ensure the core temperature drops below 0 degrees C (32 degrees F) within 24 hours and reaches -18 degrees C (-0.4 degrees F) within 96 hours after the brine is applied. The association asked for confirmation that continuing freezing operations in this manner would comply with the amended rules and not affect exports.

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