Thông tư 07/2017/TT-BNNPTNT

CIRCULAR

INTRODUCING THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION ON “FISHERY PRODUCT - FROZEN TRA FISH FILLETS”

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No.15/2017/ND-CP dated February 17, 2017 defining the functions, duties, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Pursuant to the Law on Technical Regulations and Standards dated June 29, 2006;

Pursuant to the Law on Food Safety dated June 17, 2010;

At the request of the Director of the National Agro-forestry and Fisheries Quality Assurance Department and the Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Environment,

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development hereby adopts the Circular introducing the National Technical Regulation on “Fishery product - Frozen Tra fish fillets”.

Article 1. Enclosed herewith is the National Technical Regulation on “Fishery product - frozen Tra fish fillets”.

Code: QCVN: 02 - 27: 2017/BNNPTNT

Article 2. This Circular shall take effect from May 5, 2017.

Article 3. The Director of the National Agro-forestry and Fisheries Quality Assurance Department, Heads of entities, organizations or individuals concerned shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.

In the course of implementation, if there is any difficulty or issue that may arise, entities and individuals are advised to send their timely feedbacks to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for its possible review or revision./.

QCVN 02-27: 2017/BNNPTNT

NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION

Fishery product - Frozen Tra fish fillets

Foreword:

QCVN 02-27: 2017/BNNPTNT is prepared by the Agro-forestry and Fisheries Quality Assurance Department, and submitted by the Department of Science, Technology and Environment to obtain approval from, and issued as an appendix to the Circular No. 07/2017/TT-BNNPTNT dated March 21, 2017 by, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION

Fishery product - Frozen Tra fish fillets

1. General provisions

1.1. Scope of application

This Regulation deals with technical and regulatory requirements regarding frozen Tra (Pangasius hypophthalmus or Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) fish fillets.

1.2. Subjects of application

This Regulation shall be applied to entities or individuals engaged in production and trading of frozen Tra fish fillets for food purposes and other relevant regulators.

1.3. Definition

1.3.1. Frozen Tra fish fillet

Frozen Tra fish fillet refers to the boneless flesh which has been cut from a Tra fish body by cutting lengthwise along one side of the fish parallel to the backbone, may be skinless or has skin on, may be trimmed or kept untrimmed, and undergoes the freezing process carried out in properly designed freezing equipment in such a way that the range of temperature of maximum crystallization is passed quickly and that freezing process is considered as complete until the product temperature has reached -18^oC or colder at the thermal centre.

1.3.2. Gross weight

Gross weight refers to the weight of the product which is determined after removal of the package.

1.3.3. Net weight

Net weight refers to the weight of the product which is determined after removal of the package and glaze.

2. Technical requirements

2.1. Quality factors

2.1.1. Glazing percentage

The glazing percentage is not allowed to exceed 20% of the gross weight of the product.

2.1.2. Adhering water content

The adhering water content is not allowed to exceed 86% of the gross weight of the product.

2.1.3. Sensory and physical factors

a) Definition of defectives

The sample unit shall be considered defective when it exhibits any of the properties defined below:

- Deep dehydration:

Greater than 10% of the surface area of the sample unit exhibits excessive loss of moisture clearly shown as white or yellow abnormality on the surface which masks the colour of the flesh and penetrates below the surface, and cannot be easily removed by scraping with a knife or other sharp instrument without adversely affecting the appearance of the product.

- Foreign matters:

The presence in the sample unit of any matter which is not one of the ingredients constituting the product (excluding packing material and glaze water) is easily recognized or is present at a level determined by any method that indicates non-compliance with good manufacturing and sanitation practices.

- Remaining bones:

More than one bone per kg of product greater than or equal to 10 mm in length, or greater than or equal to 1 mm in diameter is regarded as this type of defect; a bone less than or equal to 5 mm in length, is not considered a defect if its diameter is not more than 2 mm. The foot of a bone (where it has been attached to the vertebra) shall be disregarded if its width is less than or equal to 2 mm, or if it can easily be stripped off with a fingernail.

- Red spots:

Blood clots present in Tra fish fillet flesh due to any fish disease or physical damage resulted in by fish material transportation or fish fillet production activities are regarded as this type of defect.

- Parasites:

There is the presence of either a parasite detected with a capsular diameter greater than 3 mm or a parasite not encapsulated and greater than 10 mm in length.

- Strange odours and flavours:

A sample unit affected by persistent and distinct objectionable odours or flavours indicative of decomposition or rancidity.

b) Acceptance number of sensory and physical defects

The total number of defective sample units as classified according to paragraph a, section 2.1.3 does not exceed the acceptance numbers referred to in the Appendix A.

2.2. Food safety factors

2.2.1. Parasitic factor is subject to the National Technical Regulation QCVN 8-3: 2012/BYT.

2.2.2. Chemical factor

a) Residual content of veterinary medicines shall be subject to the Circular No. 24/2013/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health dated August 14, 2013.

b) Content of heavy metals shall be subject to the National Technical Regulation QCVN 8-2: 2011/BYT.

c) Content of food additives shall be subject to the Circular No. 27/2012/TT-BYT dated November 30, 2012 and the Circular No. 08/2015/TT-BYT dated May 11, 2015 of the Ministry of Health.

2.3. Labelling

The products shall be labelled in accordance with the Government’s Decree No. 89/2006/ND-CP dated August 30, 2006 and the Joint Circular No. 34/2014/TTLT-BYT-BNNPTNT-BCT dated October 27, 2014 of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

2.4. Packaging and storage

2.4.1. The product shall be packaged in food grade packing material, conformable to the National Technical Regulation QCVN 12-1:2011/BYT.

2.4.2. The product shall be stored at a temperature of -18 ^oC or colder.

3. Regulatory requirements

3.1. Certification of conformity

Assessment of conformity of the product with this Regulations shall be carried out according to the fourth modality (testing typical samples and assessing the production process; carrying out monitoring activities by testing samples collected at production sites and in the market and assessing the production process).

3.2. Declaration of conformity

3.2.1. Before being approved to be sold in the domestic market, packaged Tra fish fillets must be declared conforming to requirements set out in this Regulation.

3.2.2. Methods, processes, procedures and documentation requirements for declaration of conformity shall be subject to the Circular No. 55/2012/TT-BNNPTNT dated October 31, 2012 providing instructions for procedures for appointing a conformity certification and declaration entity within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

3.2.3. Conformity assessment shall be carried out by a certification entity that is licensed under the Government's Decree No. 107/2016/ND-CP dated July 1, 2016 and appointed by a competent authority, or carried out by production or business organizations or individuals on their own that then send typical samples to a testing organization licensed under the Government’s Decree No. 107/2016/ND-CP dated July 1, 2016 and appointed by a competent authority to perform product analyses and determine product-related factors according to section 2 hereof.

3.3. Testing and sampling method

3.3.1. Collection and preparation of sample units shall be subject to TCVN 5276-90 Fishery – Sampling and sample preparation.

3.3.2. Sensory and physical examination of physical factors (such as deep dehydration, foreign matters, remaining bones and red spots), odours and flavours shall be subject to TCVN 5277-90 Fishery – Sensory testing method.

3.3.3. Examination of parasites shall be subject to TCVN 9217 : 2012 Fish – Detection of parasites in fish muscles.

3.3.4. Determination of glazing percentage shall be subject to the Appendix B.

3.3.5. Determination of water content and deglazing of samples for analysis of water content shall be subject to AOAC 950.46 (2015) and section B4 of the Appendix B respectively.

3.3.6. Determination of food safety factors shall be subject to equivalent national regulations or international standards.

4. Responsibilities of organizations and individuals

4.1. Responsibilities of organizations and individuals

4.1.1. Organizations or individuals engaged in production and trading of packaged frozen Tra fish fillets consumed in the domestic market shall be required to make declaration of conformity in compliance with technical requirements set out herein.

4.1.2. Organizations or individuals engaged in production and trading of packaged frozen Tra fish fillets shall be allowed to sell their products in the domestic market only when their declaration of conformity is registered.

4.2. Responsibilities of relevant state authorities

4.2.1. The National Agro-forestry and Fisheries Quality Assurance Department shall evaluate and appoint an organization granting a certification of conformity with this Regulation.

4.2.2. The Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of centrally-affiliated cities and provinces shall assume the following responsibilities:

a) Receive and manage conformity declaration documentation in accordance with provisions laid down in the Circular No. 55/2012/TT-BNNPTNT;

b) Prepare a quarterly or on-demand review report for submission to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on declaration of conformity with this Regulation.

5. Implementation

5.1. Organizations and individuals

Organizations or individuals engaged in production and trading of packaged frozen Tra fish fillets shall comply with the Circular No. 55/2012/TT-BNNPTNT on declaration of conformity or self-assessment or declaration of conformity.

5.2. State authorities concerned

5.2.1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall assign the National Agro - Forestry - Fisheries Quality Assurance Department to undertake and collaborate with related entities in dissemination, guidance on and examination of implementation of this Regulation; request the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to recommend the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to revise or modify this Regulation where necessary.

5.2.2. In case where provisions sourced from other documents which are mentioned in this Regulation are subject to any revision, modification or replacement, revised, modified or replaced contents shall apply; if standards sourced from other documents which are mentioned in this Regulation have been equivalently covered by other National Technical Regulations or documents of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, provisions laid down in these Regulations and documents shall apply.

Appendix A

ACCEPTANCE NUMBER OF SENSORY AND PHYSICAL DEFECTS

A1. Lot of products which are packed in the minimum quantity of packages and of which the net weight of each is less than or equal to 1 kg

A2. Lot of products which are packed in the minimum quantity of packages and of which the net weight of each ranges from more than 1 kg to 4.5 kg

A3. Lot of products which are packed in the minimum quantity of packages and of which the net weight of each is greater than 4.5 kg

* c is the number of defective sample units determined according to subparagraph a, section 2.1.3.

Appendix B

METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF GLAZING PERCENTAGE

B1. Principle

The frozen Tra fish fillet sample of which the gross weight ha been determined is directly placed under a gentle spray of cold water or immersed into a water bath till all glaze on the surface of the sample unit is removed. As soon as the surface becomes rough, the still frozen sample is removed from the water bath and dried by use of a paper towel or a cloth towel with smooth surface before estimating the net product content. The glazing percentage shall be determined based on the net weight and gross weight of the sample unit.

B2. Preparation

- Balance sensitive to 1 gram.

- Water bath preferably with adjustable temperature. The water bath shall contain an amount of water equal to about 10 times of the specified weight of sample unit; the temperature should be adjusted within the range of 15 ^oC to 35 ^oC.

- Circular sieve with appropriate diameter and 1-3 mm mesh apertures.

- Paper or cloth towels with smooth surface.

B3. Determination of gross weight (A)

After removal of the package, the frozen Tra fish fillet sample shall be weighed to determine the gross weight (A).

B4. Determination of net weight (B)

B4.1 Individually quick frozen (IQF) products

The sample of which the gross weight has been determined is transferred onto a circular sieve, placed under a gentle spray of cold water and carefully agitated till no more glaze can be felt by the finger-tips on the surface of the product: change from slippery to rough.

The entirely deglazed sample units are then placed into a sieve at the sloping angle of approximately 30 degree above flat surface for water to drip and single sample units are readily separated from each other. As soon as the remaining water adhering to the sample surface is dried by use of a paper towel or a cloth towel with smooth surface, the net weight (B) of the deglazed sample unit is estimated.

B4.2 Frozen blocks

B4.2.1 Frozen block samples that may be separated into single frozen sample units

Separation of a frozen block into single sample units and determination of the net weigh (B) shall be carried out according to the same method as applied to IQF products (section B4.1).

B4.2.2 Frozen block samples that cannot be separated into single frozen sample units

The block sample of which the gross weight has been determined shall be placed into a suitable sized sieve and immersed into the water bath which has been prepared as mentioned in section B2. The sample is held under water surface and may be duly agitated. By slight pressure of the fingers separating deglazed portions are removed fractionally. Due care should be given in order to avoid breaking the sample. Short immersing is repeated, if glaze residues are still present, till no more glaze can be felt by the finger-tips on the surface of the product: change from slippery to rough.

The entirely deglazed sample is transferred into a sieve placed at the sloping angle of 30 degree above flat surface for remaining water to drip. As soon as the remaining water adhering to the sample surface is dried by use of a paper towel or a cloth towel with smooth surface, the deglazed sample unit is weighed to determine the net weight (B).

B5. Determination of glazing percentage (C)

The glazing percentage (percent proportion of the glaze to the gross weight of the product) shall be determined according to the following formula:

Where:

A: Gross weight

B: Net weight