TTIA Report

TTIA’S GUIDELINE QUALITY STANDARD FOR FROZEN RAW TUNA 2016

To be used by all members of Thai Tuna Industry Association (TTIA)

  1. Temperature:
    1. Back bone temperature
      1. -16°C minimum (individual raw material), at the wharf (preferable -18°C)
      2. With no individual sample over -14°C, at the wharf
    2. Storage temperature
      1. Temperature of cold storage of carrier or container; must be maintained not higher than -18°C continuously all the time
  2. Quality rejects : Claim according to actual percentage of rejection
    1. Bad smell fish : absent
    2. Discoloring fish : if higher than 2% is subject to reject or negotiation depending on the reason of discoloring fish
      Remark: Discoloring fish is pink/ orange/ green/ metal stain or other kinds of discoloring meat found after process.
    3. Honey comb : absent
    4. Histamine content : Less than 30 ppm (individual raw material)
    5. Mercury : maximum 0.5 ppm (individual check)
    6. Cadmium : maximum 0.1 ppm (individual check)
    7. Lead : maximum 0.3 ppm (individual check)
    8. Parasite : absent
    9. Decomposed fish : mushy, curd meat, pasty
    10. Meat defect : blood spot, freezing burn (15 days after unloading), bruise meat
  3. Salt content:
    1. Average maximum 1.50% per size
    2. 1.51 – 2.00% per size discount US$ 40/ mt
    3. 2.01 – 2.50% per size discount US$ 80/ mt
    4. Over 2.50% subject to reject for whole lot
      Remark: Sampling procedure for salt content in tuna shipment is taking a flesh from shoulder (Dorsal Loin) which is the thickest part of the fish and normally contains the lowest salt content. That means the finished products produced from the same fish will always have a higher salt content than the result of salt found from the sampling.
  4. Fish condition:
    1. Fish is subjected to selective rejection if there are less than 5% of minor deformities and mutilation found.
    2. Whole lot of Fish is subjected to negotiation if there are more than 5% of minor deformities and mutilation found.
  5. Contamination:
    1. Physical contamination : free from critical foreign matter such as glass, wood, hook, rust stain, paint flake. If found, lot should be considered rejected.
    2. Chemical contamination : free from chemical contamination such as petroleum and ammonia contamination. If found, problematic lot is rejected.
      Note: The TTIA guideline 2016 was corrected by TTIA’s Technical meeting of 19 January 2016 and endorsed by TTIA meeting 1/2016 of 12 February 2016.