The Food Safety (Fishery Products and Live Shellfish) (Hygiene) Regulations 1998

Section III Requirements for purification centres

In addition to the requirements under Sections I and II, the following conditions must be met—

1.  the floors and walls of the purification tanks and any water storage containers must have a smooth, hard and impermeable surface and be easy to clean by scrubbing or use of pressurised water. The base of the purification tanks must be sufficiently sloped and be equipped with drainage sufficient for the volume of work;

2.  live bivalve molluscs must be washed free of mud with pressurised clean seawater or potable water before purification. The initial washing may also be carried out in the purification tanks before purification commences, the drainage pipes being kept open during the entire initial washing and sufficient time being allowed thereafter for the system to be flushed clean before the purification process begins;

3.  the purification tanks must be supplied with a sufficient flow of seawater per hour and per tonne of live bivalve molluscs treated;

4.  clean seawater or seawater cleaned by treatment must be used for purifying live bivalve molluscs; the distance between the seawater intake point and the waste water outlets must be sufficient to avoid contamination; if treatment of the seawater is necessary, the process shall be authorised once its effectiveness has been verified by the Ministers; water used to prepare seawater from its major constituent chemicals must be potable water;

5.  operation of the purification system must allow live bivalve molluscs to rapidly resume filter feeding activity, remove sewage contamination, not to become recontaminated and be able to remain alive in a suitable condition after purification for wrapping, storage and transport before being placed on the market;

6.  the quantity of live bivalve molluscs to be purified must not exceed the capacity of the purification centre; the live bivalve molluscs must be continuously purified for a period sufficient to allow the microbiological standards laid down in Chapter V to be met. This period starts from the moment at which the live bivalve molluscs in the purification tanks are adequately covered by the water until the moment when they are removed. The purification centre must take account of the data relating to the raw materials (the type of bivalve mollusc, its area or origin, microbe content, etc.) in case it is necessary to extend the purification period so as to ensure that the live bivalve molluscs meet the bacteriological requirements of Chapter V;

7.  should a purification tank contain several batches of molluscs, they must be of the same species and come from the same production area or different areas conforming to the same health conditions. The length of the treatment must be based on the time required by the batch needing the longest period of purification;

8.  containers used to hold live bivalve molluscs in purification systems must have a construction which allows seawater to flow through; the depth of layers of live bivalve molluscs should not impede the opening of shells during purification;

9.  no crustaceans, fish or other marine species must be kept in a purification tank in which live bivalve molluscs are undergoing purification;

10.  after completion of purification, the shells of live bivalve molluscs must be washed thoroughly by hosing with potable water or clean seawater; this may take place in the purification tank if necessary; the washing water must not be recirculated;

11.  purification centres must have their own laboratories or secure the services of a laboratory equipped with the necessary facilities for checking the efficiency of purification by use of microbiological specifications. Laboratory facilities outside the centres must be acceptable to the food authority;

12.  purification centres must regularly keep a record of the following data—

• results of microbiological tests on purification system water entering the purification tanks;

• results of microbiological tests on unpurified live bivalve molluscs;

• results of microbiological tests on purified live bivalve molluscs;

• dates and quantities of live bivalve molluscs delivered to the purification centre and corresponding movement document numbers;

• the times of filling and emptying of purification systems (purification times);

• dispatch details of consignments after purification;

these records must be completed and accurate, legible and recorded in a permanent ledger book which must be available for inspection by the food authority or a person authorized by the Ministers;

13.  purification centres must accept only those batches of live bivalve molluscs which are accompanied by a movement document or permanent transport authorization. Purification centres dispatching batches of live bivalve molluscs to dispatch centres must provide a movement document or permanent transport authorization;

14.  every package containing purified live bivalve molluscs must be provided with a label certifying that all molluscs have been purified.