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 basis. 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 LIST OF FISH 

 ESTABLISHMENTS AND 

 PRODUCTS, published bi-annually, 

 provides a listing of products and 

 participants who contract with USDC. 

 Currently fourteen 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. 



"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 consumer 

 confidence. 



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: 



Northeast Inspection Branch 

 National Marine Fisheries Service 

 One Blackburn Drive 

 Gloucester, MA 01930 

 (508) 281 -9292 (FAX: 281 -91 34) 



Southeast Inspection Branch 



National Marine Fisheries Service 



Duval Building 



9450 Koger Blvd. 



St. Petersburg, PL 33702 



(813)893-3155 (FAX: 893-3557) 



Western Inspection Branch 



National Marine Fisheries Service 



5600 Rickenbacker Road 



Building No. 7 



Bell, CA 90201 



(213) 526-7412 (FAX: 526-7417) 



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 

 1315 East-West Highway 

 Silver Spring, MD 20910 

 (301)713-2355 (FAX: 713-1081) 



