NATIONAL SEAFOOD INSPECTION 

 PROGRAM. The U.S. Department of 

 Commerce (USDC), National 

 Marine Fisheries Service, a part of 

 the National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration, 

 conducts a voluntary seafood 

 inspection program on a fee-for- 

 service Pasis. A HACCP-based 

 service is also available. Services 

 provided by the program include 

 vessel and plant sanitation, product 

 inspection and grading, label 

 reviews product specification 

 reviews, laboratory analyses, 

 training, education and information. 

 Inspection and certification services 

 are available nationwide and in 

 U.S. territories for all interested 

 parties. Consultative services are 

 provided in foreign countries. 

 Inspection and certification services 

 are also provided for imported and 

 exported products. 



USERS OF INSPECTION SERVICES 



The users of the voluntary seafood 

 inspection service include vessel 

 owners, processors, distributors, 

 brokers, retailers, food service 

 operators, exporters, importers, and 

 those who have a financial interest 

 in buying and selling seafood 

 products. The military requires 

 USDC inspected products be 

 purchased for its troop feeding 

 program. The U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture also recommends that 

 USDC inspected products be 

 purchased for its food feeding 

 programs. The USDC APPROVED 

 UST OF FISH ESTABLISHMENTS AND 

 PRODUCTS, published bi-annually. 

 provides a listing of products and 

 participants who contract with 

 USDC. Currently thirteen states and 

 four commodity groups of the U.S. 

 Department of Agriculture maintain 

 agreements with the USDC for the 

 cross-licensing of food inspectors to 

 assist in the inspection and 

 certification of fishery products. 



USDC INSPECTION MARKS. The 



official marks authorized for use on 

 products in the USDC inspection 

 program are found in the Code of 

 Federal Regulations. Title 50. These 

 marks designate the level and the 

 type of inspection performed by 

 the federal inspector. The marks 

 can be used in advertising and 



labeling under the guidelines 

 provided by the Inspection Services 

 Division and in accordance with 

 federal and state regulations 

 regarding advertising and labeling. 

 Products bearing the USDC official 

 marks have been certified as being 

 safe, wholesome, and properly 

 labeled. 



.U.S. GRADE, 



<4> 



"US GRADE A MARK." The U.S. 

 GRADE A mark signifies that a 

 product has been processed under 

 federal inspection in an approved 

 facility and meets the established 

 level of quality of an existing U.S. 

 grade standard. The U.S. Grade A 

 mark indicates that the product is 

 of high quality, uniform in size, 

 practically free from blemishes and 

 defects, in excellent condition and 

 possessing good flavor and odor. 



"PACKED UNDER FEDERAL 

 INSPECTION" MARK. The PUFI mark 

 or statement signifies that the 

 product has been inspected in an 

 approved facility by a federal 

 inspector and was found to be 

 safe, wholesome and properly 

 labeled according to approved 

 specifications or criteria. 



LOT INSPECTION MARKS. Products 

 inspected on a lot inspection basis, 

 whether in an approved facility or 

 in a warehouse, cold storage 

 facility or dock, by a federal 

 inspector, can bear an official lot 

 inspection mark. The OFFICIALLY 

 SAMPLED mark signifies that the 

 products were officially sampled for 



wholesomeness. condition and 

 other factors as requested. The 

 ACCEPTED PER SPECIFICATIONS 



mark identifies products which were 

 officially sampled and inspected to 

 conform to approved specifications 

 or criteria. 



USDC HACCP-BASED SERVICE. The 



USDC HACCP-based service is 

 available to all interested parties on 

 a fee-for-service basis. Label 

 approval, record keeping and 

 analytical testing are program 

 requirements. An industry NMFS 

 certified employee trained in 

 HACCP principles is also required 

 for each facility /site in the program. 

 Compliance ratings determine 

 frequency of official visits. Costs 

 are consistent with current program 

 rates. Benefits to participants 

 include increased controls through 

 a more scientific approach, use of 

 established marks, increased 

 efficiency of federal inspection 

 personnel, and enhanced con- 

 sumer confidence. 



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: 



Northeast Inspection Branch 

 National Marine Fisheries Service 

 One Blackburn Drive 

 Gloucester, MA 01930 

 (508) 28 1 -9292 (FAX: 28 1 -9223) 



Southeast Inspection Branch 



National Marine Fisheries Service 



Duval Building 



9450 Roger Blvd. 



St. Petersburg, FL 33702 



(8 1 3) 893-3 1 55 (FAX: 893-3 1 1 1 ) 



Western Inspection Branch 



National Marine Fisheries Service 



5600 Rickenbacker Road 



Building No. 7 



Bell. CA 90201 



(2 1 3) 894-5369 (FAX: 894-5398) 



National Inspection Laboratory 



National Marine Fisheries Service 



3209 Frederic St. 



P.O. Drawer 1207 



Pascagoula, MS 39567 



(601) 762-7402 (FAX: 769-9200) 



Inspection Services Division 

 National Marine Fisheries Service 

 1 335 East-West Highway 

 Silver Spring, MD 20910 

 (301) 713-2355 (FAX: 588-4853) 



