The variety and species of aquatic organisms used as food are too many. Thus, sea food processing refers to the processes associated with fish and fish products between the time fish are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer. By virtue of their genetic makeup or food habits, some of these organisms are found to contain some toxic substances. Thus ciguatoxin, paralytic shellfish poison (saxitoxin), diarrhetic shellfish poison (okadaic acid), amnesic shellfish poison etc. are species related toxins, which are health hazards encountered in seafood. Similarly, scombroid or more generally fishes with red meat and on temperature abuse produce histamine and cause the commonly reported scombroid toxin poisoning.

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Hazards and its control in Seafood Processing Industry
The variety and species of aquatic organisms used as food are too many. Thus, sea food
processing refers to the processes associated with fish and fish products between the time fish
are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer.
By virtue of their genetic makeup or food habits, some of these organisms are found to contain
some toxic substances. Thus ciguatoxin, paralytic shellfish poison (saxitoxin), diarrhetic shellfish
poison (okadaic acid), amnesic shellfish poison etc. are species related toxins, which are health
hazards encountered in seafood
Similarly, scombroid or more generally fishes with red meat and on temperature abuse
produce histamine and cause the commonly reported scombroid toxin poisoning
Following are the major Hazards in sea food industry.
Physical Hazards:
Physical hazards are environmental factors that can harm an employee without necessarily
touching them, including heights, noise, radiation, and pressure.
S.No. Site Hazard Precaution
1. Unloading
Docks
• Load Hitting a Person by falling
• Slipping, sliding or physical strain
Use proper lifting techniques

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2. Storage in
Freezers
Boxes stacked too high or are not secured Install racking systems to keep
containers stable and do not keep
it too high
Temperature in freezer and cold storage
rooms-Prolonged exposure to cold
temperatures can affect workers’
coordination and reaction times
• Wear cold weather
clothing
• Take scheduled breaks to
maintain your internal
body temperature.
3 Plant
Maintenance
and Repairs
Working from heights using a variety of
equipment - ladders, lifts, and scaffolding -
to carry out maintenance and repairs
When working from high heights
(greater than 3 meters), use
scaffolding or a fall protection
harness
Working on equipment while plant is in
operation
If possible, remove equipment
from the work area to carry out
repairs.
4 Processing
Line
Slippery floors Wear footwear with good grips
Hot water and cookers Vent steam away from workers
5. Packaging
and Labelling
Strapping and stapling machines-can
cause hand injuries
Keep hands clear of the moving
parts of the equipment. And
Wear properly fitted clothing to
avoid getting caught in the
machinery
Biological Hazard:
Biological safety hazards commonly found in seafood include bacterial pathogens, viral
pathogens, and parasites

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S.No. Name Cause Effect Control measures
Bacterial Pathogens:
1. Bacillus cereus Improper
refrigeration
Food poisoning destruction by a heat process
and temperature control to
prevent spore germination
and multiplication of
vegetative cells in cooked,
ready-to-eat foods
2. Campylobacter
jejuni
Cross-
contamination of
foods by dirty
food-contact
surfaces
diarrheal illness in
humans
thoroughly cooking seafood
and by stressing the
importance of proper (and
frequent) hand and
equipment washing and
sanitary food-handling
practices
3. Clostridium
botulinum
neurotoxin Botulinum toxins
block nerve
functions and can
lead to respiratory
and muscular
paralysis
• Heavy salting or
drying to reduce the
water activity below
0.93
• fermentation or
acidification to below
pH 4.6 are effective
means of preventing
C. botulinum growth
Viral Pathogens:
4. Hepatitis A Virus Viruses survive
better at low
temperatures;
most outbreaks
of hepatitis occur
during winter
and early spring
• fever,
jaundice, and
abdominal
pain
• thoroughly cooking
seafood
• by preventing cross-
contamination of
cooked seafood.
5. Norwalk Virus associated with
eating clams
(raw and
a major cause of
nonbacterial intestinal
illness
(gastroenteritis)causes
prevented by thoroughly
cooking seafood and by
preventing cross-

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steamed),
oysters
nausea, vomiting,
diarrhoea, abdominal
cramps, and
occasionally fever in
humans.
contamination of cooked
seafood.
Parasites:
6. Anisakis simplex
commonly called
herring worm
associated with
eating raw fish
(sushi, sashimi,
lomi lomi,
ceviche,
sunomono,
Dutch green
herring,
marinated fish
and cold-smoked
fish) or
undercooked fish
Anisakiasis is a
parasitic
disease caused by
anisakis nematodes
that can invade the
stomach or intestine
of humans
. Freezing and storing at -4ºF
(-20ºC) or below for 7 days
(total time)
Pseudoterranova
decipiens
commonly called
“codworm” or
“sealworm,”
through raw or
undercooked fish
These nematodes are
related to Anisakis
simplex and the
disease associated
with infections is also
termed anisakiasis
freezing at -31ºF (-35ºC) or
below for 15 hour
Chemical Hazards:
Hazardous chemicals are substances that can cause adverse health effects such as poisoning,
breathing problems, skin rashes, allergic reactions, allergic sensitisation, cancer, and other
health problems from exposure
S.No. Name Animal/Organ
Involved
Effect Prevention
Naturally occurring chemical:
1. Scombroid Toxin (Histamine
in Fish)
tunas, bonitos,
mackerels, blue
fish, dolphin (Maki
mahi), carangids,
facial flushing,
urticaria, oedema
and gastrointestinal
problems such as
nausea, vomiting
Low temperature
storage or
holding fish at
0°C at all times is
the most

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herring, sardine
and anchovies
and diarrhoea.
Neurological
symptoms like,
headache, tingling,
burning sensation in
the mouth etc., are
also common.
effective
preventive
measure
2. Tetrodotoxin (Puffer fish
poison)- probably the most
lethal of all fish poisons.
in the liver, ovaries
and intestine in
various species of
puffer fish,
octopus and two
Japanese
shellfishes.
neurological
symptoms that
develop 10-45
minutes after
ingestion, paralysis,
respiratory
problems and
cardiovascular
collapse
Avoid eating it.
Eat only when it
is properly
processed.
3. Ciguatera poisoning ingestion of fish
that have become
toxic by feeding on
toxic
dinoflagellates
Fish species such
as red snapper
(Lutjanus bohar),
grouper ( Variola
louti) and moray
eel have been
recorded as
ciguateric
nausea and
neurological deficits
Do not eat the
fish's liver,
intestines, eggs, or
head because they
have the highest
concentration of
toxins.
Unintentionally or incidentally added chemicals
Name Elements Causes Prevention
4. Toxic metals Toxic metals such
as cadmium,
mercury, arsenic,
selenium, lead etc.
above the normal
Increasing amounts
of chemicals may be
found in predatory
species because of
biomagnification
Increased
environmental
monitoring
should be
introduced.
Depuration of

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level impair the
quality
molluscs will
remove some of
the contaminants
Intentionally added chemicals and Food Additives
product Additive Max limit Prevention
5. Semi preserved fish products
including fish products
Salted, dried fish Shrimps,
cooked Crangon
Sorbates and
Benzoates
2000 mg/kg
200 mg/kg
2000 mg/kg
6000 mg/kg
Source Control
i.e. specifications
of raw materials,
ingredients and
vendor
certification.
• Process
Control i.e.
formulation c
Conclusion:
Certain chemical substances and biological agents incorporated into feed, either intentionally
or unintentionally, can result in hazards in food of animal origin and may enter feed at any
stage of production up to the point of feeding. Regulatory programmes should be established
which ensure that foods of animal origin produced for human consumption are both safe and
wholesome.