Crustaceans that are cooked and ready-to-eat

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

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

We classify imported food that presents a potential medium or high risk to public health as risk food. All risk food is listed in the Imported Food Control Order 2019.

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

This includes, but is not limited to, cooked and ready-to-eat:

• Crab
• Crayfish
• Prawn or shrimp

Exclusions

Crustaceans and crustacea products that are:

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

Declaring certificates

When lodging a Full Import Declaration (FID), use the correct ICS document code and certificate number for the food.

See lodging declarations and documentation.

Community Protection (CP) question

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).

Inspection and testing

We refer consignments of cooked crustaceans and crustacea products that are ready-to-eat for analytical testing. During inspection, we will also conduct a visual and label assessment.

Testing for Listeria monocytogenes applies to cooked crustaceans that are ready-to-eat at a rate based on the compliance history of the particular food.

Testing for Salmonella applies at the rate of 5%.

Additional requirements apply to specific seafood. See fish and crustaceans from aquaculture production.

Table 1 shows the tests that will be applied and permitted results for each food type.

n = the number of samples to be analysed from a lot of food.
c = the maximum number of sample units that can be greater than ‘m’.
m = the acceptable microbiological level in a sample unit.

Food safety risks

Food Standard Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has given us advice about the risk of cooked crustaceans that are ready-to-eat and support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. These products present a potential medium or high risk to public health and safety for Listeria monocytogenes.

FSANZ has also advised that ready-to-eat cooked prawns and shrimp present a potential medium or high risk for Vibrio cholerae.

Voluntary foreign government certification arrangements

We have a voluntary certification arrangement in place with Canada and Thailand for cooked crustaceans that are ready-to-eat. Consignments of these foods from Canada and Thailand with a recognised government certificate have a reduced rate of inspection and testing.

Glossary

Ready-to-eat

Food is ready-to-eat if it is ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold.

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) 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

Goods are shelf stable if the:

• goods have been commercially manufactured
• goods have been packaged by the manufacturer
• goods are in that package
• package has not been opened or broken
• goods are able to be stored in the package at room or ambient temperature, and
• goods do not require refrigeration or freezing before the package is opened.

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