Standards · Food Safety

HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points

The science-based food safety framework required for every commercial seafood processor. Seven principles that form the backbone of modern seafood safety.

What Is HACCP?

HACCP is a systematic, science-based approach to identifying and controlling food safety hazards. Rather than relying on end-product testing — inspecting finished product to catch problems — HACCP builds controls into the process itself. You identify where hazards can enter, and you control those points.

The FDA mandated HACCP for seafood processors in 1997 under 21 CFR Part 123 — the Seafood HACCP regulation. If you process seafood commercially, you are legally required to have a written HACCP plan, implement it, and maintain records demonstrating compliance.

HACCP was originally developed by NASA and Pillsbury in the 1960s for astronaut food safety. It was adopted by the seafood industry before the meat and juice industries because seafood presents unique biological hazards — specifically histamine formation, parasite survival, and rapid temperature-related spoilage — that demand process controls rather than after-the-fact testing.

The Seven Principles

These principles apply in sequence. You cannot establish monitoring procedures (Principle 4) without first identifying your Critical Control Points (Principle 2).

Hazard Analysis

Identify all biological, chemical, and physical hazards that could occur at each step of the process. For seafood this includes pathogens like Listeria, histamine in certain species, and metal fragments from processing equipment.

Identify Critical Control Points

Determine which steps in the process are CCPs — points where a control measure can be applied and is essential to preventing or eliminating a food safety hazard. Not every step is a CCP.

Establish Critical Limits

Set the maximum or minimum value at which a biological, chemical, or physical hazard must be controlled. For example: receiving temperature must be ≤40°F; cooking must reach 145°F internal temperature.

Monitoring Procedures

Define how and how often each CCP will be measured. Includes who takes the measurement, what instrument is used, and where in the process the check occurs.

Corrective Actions

Specify what happens when monitoring shows a deviation from a critical limit. This includes what to do with affected product and how to restore control before processing continues.

Verification

Confirm that the HACCP system is working correctly. Includes calibrating monitoring equipment, reviewing records, and periodic review of the entire HACCP plan.

Record-Keeping

Maintain documentation that the HACCP system is functioning as designed. Records must be available for FDA review. For seafood processors this typically means at least one year of daily records.

Why It Matters for Seafood

Seafood presents hazards that are less common in other food categories. These are the hazards that drove the FDA to mandate HACCP for seafood before any other industry.

Temperature Abuse

Most seafood pathogens multiply rapidly above 40°F. Time-temperature abuse is the most common cause of seafood-related illness.

Risk

Bacterial growth, spoilage

CCP?

Yes — receiving and cold storage

Histamine (Scombrotoxin)

Tuna, mackerel, mahi-mahi, and related species produce histamine when held at improper temperatures. Cooking does not destroy it.

Risk

Scombroid poisoning

CCP?

Yes — temperature control throughout

Parasites in Raw Fish

FDA recommends freezing at -4°F for 7 days or -31°F for 15 hours to kill parasites in fish intended for raw consumption.

Risk

Anisakis and related nematodes

CCP?

Yes — freezing protocol for raw products

Allergens

Finfish and shellfish are among the 9 major allergens. Cross-contact between species on shared processing lines must be controlled.

Risk

Anaphylaxis, allergic reaction

CCP?

Yes — labeling and cross-contact controls

Metal Fragments

Processing equipment can shed metal into product. Metal detection at end-of-line is standard for any mechanically processed seafood.

Risk

Physical injury

CCP?

Yes — metal detection

Common CCPs for Seafood Operations

Every HACCP plan is specific to the operation — but these CCPs appear in most seafood processor plans. Your specific critical limits may vary based on your processes and product types.

CCP	Critical Limit	Monitoring Method
Receiving — Raw Material	≤40°F (≤4°C) internal temperature	Thermometer check at delivery
Cooking / Pasteurization	145°F (63°C) internal for 15 seconds	Calibrated thermometer, every batch
Cold Storage / Refrigeration	≤40°F (≤4°C) air temperature	Continuous temperature logger
Metal Detection	Ferrous: 2.0mm / Non-ferrous: 2.5mm	Test pieces at start/end of each shift
Freezing for Parasite Control	-4°F (-20°C) for 7 days minimum	Temperature recorder in freezer

Who Needs a HACCP Plan?

Any person or business engaged in processing seafood for commercial sale is required to have a HACCP plan under 21 CFR Part 123. This includes:

→Commercial seafood processors (includes on-vessel processing)
→Smokehouses and value-added processors
→Importers of seafood products
→Distributors with processing operations (cutting, portioning, repackaging)

Retail establishments (restaurants, fish markets) are generally regulated by state and local health departments and may follow different frameworks, though HACCP principles are commonly adopted there as well.

FDA first mandated Seafood HACCP in 1997 — making it one of the longest-standing federal food safety requirements in any industry.

Pacific Cloud Seafood

HACCP-Compliant from Vessel to Delivery

At Pacific Cloud Seafood, HACCP compliance is built into every step of the chain — not bolted on at the end for regulatory purposes. Temperature monitoring begins on the vessel and continues through our cold chain to the customer.

Our HACCP documentation is available to wholesale buyers on request. We maintain records of receiving temperatures, cold storage logs, and lot-level traceability throughout the supply chain.

This is also why we partner with processors who take food safety seriously — not just those with the lowest price. HACCP compliance is table stakes. Consistent practice is the differentiator.

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