ARM-RAISED SHRIMP GOOD AQUACULTURE PRACTICES FOR PRODUCT QUALITY AND SAFETY IMPORT ANCE OF PRODUCT SAFETY AND QUALITY

Shrimp remains as one of the most popular and highest valued seafood
selectionsthroughout the world. Current annual world production from both wild
harvest andfarm culture is estimated at approximately 3,000,000 metric tones
with an estimatedproduction value in excess of $12 billion U.S. dollars. In
comparisons, shrimp productionis not one of the largest world fisheries, but it
is one of the most valuable. For example, inthe United States the 1999 shrimp
imports represented 18.8 percent of the total US importsby weight and 35 percent
in total value. This value indicates a strong market demand. Insome countries,
consumption of farm-raised shrimp has grown to exceed the amount ofwild
shrimp.169Farm-raised shrimp good aquaculture practices for product quality and
safetyFARM-RAISED SHRIMP GOOD AQUACULTURE PRACTICES FOR PRODUCT QUALITY AND
SAFETYSteve Otwell, Laura GarridoVictor Garrido, Ron BennerAquatic Food Products
ProgramUniversity of Florida, Sea Grant ProgramGainesville, FL 32611IMPORTANCE
OF PRODUCT SAFETY AND QUALITYMARKET EXPECTATIONSSource: WWW.NMFS.GOV Foreign
Trade data, 2001 ShrimpSeafood$US 9.35/kg$US 5.07/kg
While most world fisheries are experiencing maximum sustainable production or
near over-fishing, shrimp production can continue to increase through
aquaculture farm operations.Shrimp aquaculture keeps growing steadily despite
the adverse conditions and new chal-lenges faced by the farmers. In 1988,
farmed-raised shrimp represented 40.6 percent of thetotal shrimp production
worldwide, increasing to 49.4 percent in 1998.170Methods for improving shrimp
farming in Central AmericaSource: WWW.FAO.ORG FishStat Plus 2000Source:
WWW.FAO.ORG FishStat Plus 2000

The growth of shrimp farming assures a positive future for the world shrimp
supply, but thisnew industry is rapidly changing with expansion into more
countries, by increasing use ofmore intensive farming, and through use of
formulated feeds. Traditional food markets areusually suspect for a new source
and new method of food production. Continuing demandand value for new shrimp
products will depend on consistent product quality and safety.Market concerns
include: GIs the new shrimp as good as or better than the traditional
shrimp?GDoes it taste and smell the same?GDoes it look the same, raw or
cooked?GDoes it cook the same?GDoes it have the same shelf-life, when fresh or
frozen?GIs the new shrimp safe to eat?GDoes harvest and processing cause
contamination with chemicals?GDoes harvesting and processing cause contamination
with pathogenic bacteria?GDo farmed animal illnesses (i.e., viruses) cause human
illnesses?GDo the farmers and processors practice good basic sanitation, hygiene
and food safety standards (HACCP)?These are reasonable and expected market
questions for all foods, but the answers to thesequestions are becoming more
difficult as the food supply becomes more distant and global.In fact, the
ability to answer these questions has become a marketing advantage. This
com-petition involves:Gfarmed vs. wild shrimp supplies;Gcountry vs. country
shrimp supplies; andGfarm vs. farm shrimp supplies.In addition to the
requirements for daily shrimp production, farmers must realize that thedemand
and value of their shrimp will depend on the product quality and
safety.171Farm-raised shrimp good aquaculture practices for product quality and
safety"SHRIMP SAFETY & QUALITY = VALUE"

Shrimp farmers must be aware of the current regulatory expectations in their
country andin the countries where their shrimp will be sold and consumed. The
regulatory authoritiesin most nations are assigned to protect the 'safety' of
their consumers. Most countries havespecific regulations to assure food safety
for products produced in or imported into thecountry. In many instances, these
food safety regulations also involve or influence productquality. Regulatory
expectations will be based on judgments and measures for both shrimpsafety and
quality. Shrimp quality and safety are closely related. A shrimp with poor
quality due to bacterialspoilage could be considered safe to eat if it is cooked
to eliminate any safety concerns, butthe poor quality is often considered an
indirect measure for product safety. Likewise, anapparently good quality shrimp
could cause illness if it is contaminated with a potential foodhazard that is
not obvious based on quality judgments. Regulatory authorities should try
todistinguish certain safety problems. Farmed shrimp could be unsafe to eat if :
Gthe shrimp are contaminated with certain types or amounts of 'pathogenic'
bacterial;Gthe shrimp contains excessive amounts of food additives or improper
food additives;Gthe shrimp contains pesticides, herbicides or other potential
toxic chemicals introduced during pond culture; orGthe shrimp contains improper
amounts or type of therapeutic chemicals usedduring pond culture.The traditional
regulatory approach has been to set various guidelines or tolerances thatassure
a safe product. These standards are usually enforced by inspection of products
afterthey are processed, combined withoccasional inspections of the pro-cessing
facilities to enforce goodmanufacture practices (Appendix:GMP's). The GMP's
include somebasic sanitation requirements thatare usually designed for
processing.Good aquacultural practices (GAP's)are introduced to include
farmingactivities linked with processing.172Methods for improving shrimp farming
in Central AmericaAreas of concern for shrimp quality and safetyIMPORTANCE OF
PRODUCT SAFETY AND QUALITYREGULATORY EXPECTATIONS