A risk scoring system for seafood supply chain breaches and examination of freshwater fish imported to Australia

Legislative changes have altered the way imported edible seafood is inspected in Australia. Greater onus of responsibility has been placed on exporting countries to provide documentary evidence of adherence to internally recognized food safety standards. According to global trade agreements, any additional safety tests applied to freshwater fish imported into Australia must be justified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a risk scoring method to provide justification for identifying countries as ‘Freshwater fish high risk’ and to examine the seafood they export to Australia for seafood supply chain breaches. Scoring was conducted using six predictor variables, identified in the literature as important contributors to seafood supply chain breaches, to achieve the outcome variable, Country considered ‘Freshwater fish high risk’. Sixty-seven fish fillets (9.55 kg) of the same species were examined from the third highest scoring country (Country 20) and 562 (5.6 kg) whole fish from the sixth highest scoring country (Country 22). Country 20 had supply chain breaches of 28 macroscopic yellow cysts in one fillet. Two hundred and thirteen parasites and other supply chain breaches were identified in fish from Country 22, including retained liver (91 per cent), visible mud (11 per cent), a variety of debris (16 per cent) and, depending on the commodity code, these fish were imported to Australia under full intestine (90 per cent), retained gills (89 per cent), and partial intestine (9 per cent). Three serious physical hazards were recovered from the edible portion of three ‘consumer-ready’ fish and snails of Genus Lymnaea and Indoplanorbis were recovered from gill mud also from ‘consumer-ready’ fish. The study showed variable results from the scoring system and vast differences in seafood supply chain breaches between the third and sixth highest scoring countries

Demographic characteristics of the study districts of Pakistan.

<p>Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (2015).</p

Map of Pakistan indicating current study areas (Map was created using ArcGIS® software by Esri.

<p>ArcGIS® and ArcMap™)</p

Model-based percentages in each household risk score category (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) across levels of farm cleaning risk scores, and across levels of brucellosis herd transmission risk scores.

<p>These values are from the two-variable model and are averaged over the levels of the other factor in the model. Household risk scores and brucellosis herd transmission risk scores were calculated from the practices reported by smallholder dairy farmers who participated in a cross-sectional study on brucellosis in Pakistan</p

Herd management practices posing a risk for brucellosis transmission within herd reported by smallholder dairy farmers participating in a cross-section study on brucellosis in Pakistan (<i>n</i> = 420 farmers).

<p>Herd management practices posing a risk for brucellosis transmission within herd reported by smallholder dairy farmers participating in a cross-section study on brucellosis in Pakistan (<i>n</i> = 420 farmers).</p

Venn diagram showing the percentages of smallholder dairy farmers in Pakistan having combinations of multiple herd management practices posing a risk of brucellosis transmission within herd.

<p>Venn diagram showing the percentages of smallholder dairy farmers in Pakistan having combinations of multiple herd management practices posing a risk of brucellosis transmission within herd.</p

Descriptive results of self-reported practices and unsubstantiated beliefs among smallholder farmers of Punjab and Sindh, Pakistan.

<p>Descriptive results of self-reported practices and unsubstantiated beliefs among smallholder farmers of Punjab and Sindh, Pakistan.</p

Farm and household practices which pose risk of contracting brucellosis in animals and humans, included in a questionnaire among smallholder dairy farmers in Pakistan.

<p>Farm and household practices which pose risk of contracting brucellosis in animals and humans, included in a questionnaire among smallholder dairy farmers in Pakistan.</p

Demographic features of smallholder dairy farmers of Pakistan participating in a cross-sectional study on brucellosis (<i>n</i> = 420 farmers).

<p>Demographic features of smallholder dairy farmers of Pakistan participating in a cross-sectional study on brucellosis (<i>n</i> = 420 farmers).</p

Venn diagram showing the percentages of smallholder dairy farmers in Pakistan having combinations of multiple household practices posing a risk of brucellosis transmission from animals to human.

<p>Venn diagram showing the percentages of smallholder dairy farmers in Pakistan having combinations of multiple household practices posing a risk of brucellosis transmission from animals to human.</p