What is a Direct-Market Land Based Facility?

A facility that processes the operator’s own catch of seafood products for sale and intended for human consumption requires a Direct Market Seafood Processors permit. Seafood processing activities are limited to butchering, roe extraction, freezing, and packaging. 

Facility Design and Construction

• The facility must be designed and constructed to protect seafood processing activities from weather and entry of insects, rodents, and other animals.
• The facility may be a temporary facility which is taken apart and rebuilt on a seasonal basis.
• Inside walls and ceiling must be made of an approved material.
• No food contact surfaces made of wood. Other wood surfaces must be sealed.
• Floors in the processing room must have drains and sloped to facilitate drainage.
• Domestic and seafood processing wastewater must be removed by approved means.
• Septic systems receiving seafood processing wastewater must be adequate. 
• Landfills used for solid seafood waste must be approved to accept seafood waste.
• Lighting must be sufficient to provide adequate inspection and handling of product.

Water Supply & Ice:

• Processing water and ice must be from approved sources.
• Disinfect, test, and protect processing water and ice from contamination.
• Change processing rinse water (fish dips) often to prevent buildup of slime and blood that may contaminate the seafood product.
• Processing water lines may not be cross-connected with non-potable water lines.
• Store and transport ice in a sanitary manner.
• Roe product is not required to have a final rinse as long as:
  • the whole, round fish is rinsed in water with a residual chlorine prior to gutting, and
  • food contact surfaces are properly cleaned and sanitized. 

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

• Conduct a Hazard Analysis for each seafood product that you process, and keep a written copy.
• Develop a written HACCP plan that controls for any identified hazards.
• Write a Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure (SSOP) that addresses the 8 key points of sanitation listed in 21 CFR 123.11 Sanitation control procedures.
• Print a cleaning and sanitizing log (PDF).
• Maintain records for 2 years (freezing operations) and 1 year (fresh operations)

Keep Everything Clean and Sanitary:

• You must be able to clean and sanitize the processing area.
• You must have a toilet, a handwash sink, soap, and hand towels.
• If you use a portable toilet you must monitor the use of the hand wash sink at the entrance to the processing area to ensure employees are washing their hands.
• Disinfect, test and protect processing water from contamination. Processing water must be disinfected and tested for residual free chlorine, each operating day. Actual values must be recorded in the daily sanitation log.
• Vessels or vehicles used to transport seafood products must be protected from sun and contamination such as bird droppings.
• Test and record sanitizer concentrations that are used to clean food contact surfaces. Too much sanitizer can result in adulteration of the food product. Too little sanitizer can result in improperly sanitized food contact surfaces. 

Records You Must Keep:

• Hazard Analysis
• HACCP plan
• Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure (SSOP)
• Cleaning and Sanitizing Schedule and records
• Disinfectant Residual records

Examples of Hazard Analysis, HACCP Plans, Cleaning and Sanitizing Schedule, and Disinfectant Residual forms are online at the ADEC resources page.