Crustaceans and crustacean products that are cooked and ready-to-eat

Reference: CRU 11/2020

All biosecurity requirements must be met before Imported Food Inspection Scheme requirements apply.

Check our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) for import conditions.

Imported Food Inspection Scheme risk food

Crustaceans and crustacean products that are cooked and ready-to-eat are classified as risk food. This includes crab, crayfish, lobster, prawn or shrimp. The food may have undergone minimal processing steps, that may be whole or in portions, peeled or unpeeled.

Exclusions

Crustaceans and crustacean products that are:

• retorted and shelf stable 
• dried
• food from New Zealand.

Community Protection (CP) questions

You will need to answer this CP question when lodging your full import declaration:

IFIS: Are the goods cooked crustaceans that require refrigeration (chilled or frozen) and do not require further cooking before consumption? (Answer 'no' if the goods are crumbed or battered).

Testing

Table 1 shows the hazard, tests that apply and permitted results for this food. When referred for inspection, a visual and label assessment will also apply.

Salmonella and seafood antimicrobial tests will be applied to consignments of this food at the rate of 5 %.

Table 1 Hazard, test applied and permitted result

Hazard	Test applied	Permitted result
Listeria monocytogenes	Listeria monocytogenes Note: An IFIS Importer declaration can be lodged for this food where it does not support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes.	Not detected in any 25 g sample unit
Vibrio cholerae	Vibrio cholerae Note: applies to prawns only	Not detected in any 25 g sample unit

Glossary

Hermetically sealed container

A container that is airtight when sealed.

Ready-to-eat

1. Food is ready-to-eat if it is ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold.
2. To avoid doubt, food is not ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold if, before it is consumed, it requires further processing (such as cooking) in order to reduce any pathogenic microorganisms potentially present in the food to safe levels.

Retorted

Animal products are retorted if they are heated in a hermetically sealed container to a minimum core temperature of 100°C, obtaining an F0 value of at least 2.8.

Shelf stable

1. The goods have been commercially manufactured; and
2. The goods have been packaged by the manufacturer; and
3. The goods are in that package; and
4. The package has not been opened or broken; and
5. The goods are able to be stored in the package at room or ambient temperature; and
6. The goods do not require refrigeration or freezing before the package is opened.

Version history

Date	Amendment details
10/11/2020	CRU 11/2020	Removed tests for coagulase-positive staphylococci and Standard Plate Count (SPC). Test for Listeria monocytogenes increased to risk rate. Test for salmonella sp. reduced to surveillance rate.
25/03/2019	CRU 03/2019	Added tests for Listeria monocytogenes
16/11/2018	CRU 11/2018	Consolidates risk food webpage for cooked prawns and shrimp
1/5/2014	CRU 05/2014	Replaces Imported Food Notice 09/12 Tests applied to risk category foods