Shellfish industry benefits from new guidance on legislation

‘Good Manufacturing Practice Guidelines for Live Bivalves’ is a guide for the preparation of bivalves - such as mussels and oysters - for the market, and has been produced in response to new EU Food hygiene legislation that came into force in January 2006.

 The aim of the new 36-page workbook is to give confidence to food businesses that they are operating in compliance with legislation and to promote understanding of the legal obligations and their interpretation. It will also help promote continuity of food safety from primary production through to final distribution.

Each category of activity, from handling the animals on deck or beach, through to sorting and grading, transportation, purification and packing, is covered and is hoped to help reduce operating costs, which is particularly important for small businesses.

 Martin Pyke of Seafish said: “These guidelines offer shellfish companies a real opportunity for improving their business and will also help to streamline legislative requirements ensuring that problems of local interpretation and disruption of compliance with the new legislation are minimised.”