CODEX STAN 70-1981 Page 1 of 8

CODEX STANDARD FOR CANNED TUNA AND BONITO

CODEX STAN 70-1981

1. SCOPE OF APPLICATION
This regulation applies to tuna and bonito in brine. It does not apply to products of
specialties that contain less than 50 percent m/m of tuna.
2. DESCRIPTION
2.1 Product definition
He tunes in and the good is preserved with the products made from the meat of any of them.
appropriate species listed below, packaged in airtight containers.
Albacore tuna
Yellowfin tuna
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
-Bigeye tuna
Thunnus maccoyii
Atlantic bluefin tuna
Tonggol tuna
Euthynnus affinis
Euthynnus alletteratus
Lined Tuna
Katsuwonus pelamis (synonym: Euthynnus pelamis)
Sarda chiliensis
Eastern Sarda
Sarda sarda
2.2 Definition of the process
The products must have undergone sufficient processing to ensure their sterility.
at the time of marketing.
2.3 Presentation
The product will be presented as follows:
2.3.1 Compact (with or without skin): the fish will be cut into cross sections that will be placed in
the can with the plans of its cross-sectional cuts parallel to the bottom of the can. The proportion of small pieces
loose pieces in general will not exceed 18 percent of the drained weight of the packaging.
2.3.2 Chunks: pieces of fish, most of which are at least 1.2 cm in length.
on each side and maintain the original structure of the muscle. The proportion of pieces of meat of dimensions
Less than 1.2 cm will not exceed 30 percent of the drained weight of the contents of the can.
2.3.3 Small pieces: a mixture of particles and pieces of fish, the majority of which
they have less than 1.2 cm in length on each side but retain the muscle structure of the meat. The
The proportion of meat trimmings with dimensions less than 1.2 cm will be greater than 30 percent of the weight.
drained from the contents of the can.
2.3.4 Minced or crumbled: a mixture of particles of cooked fish reduced to dimensions
uniform, in which the particles appear separated and do not form a paste.

Adopted 1981. Revision 1995

CODEX STAN 70-1981 Page 2 of 8

2.3.5 Any other form of presentation will be allowed, provided that:

i) be sufficiently different from the other forms of presentation stipulated herein
Norma;
ii) meets all other requirements of this Standard;
it is properly written on the label in such a way that it does not lead to error or deception
consumer.
3. ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS
3.1 Raw material
The products will be prepared with healthy fish from the species indicated in section 2.1 of
a quality suitable for being sold fresh for human consumption.
3.2 Other ingredients
The packaging medium and all other ingredients used will be of food quality and will
they will adjust to all the applicable Codex standards.
3.3 Decomposition
The products will not contain more than 10 mg/100 g of histamine, based on the average of the
half of the analyzed sample.
3.4 Final product
It will be considered that the products meet the requirements of this Standard when the batches
examined with regard to Section 9 shall adjust to the provisions established in Section 8. The
Products will be examined applying the methods indicated in Section 7.
4. Food additives
Only the use of the following additives is allowed:
Additives Maximum dosage in the final product

Thickeners or gelling agents (in the medium

of packaging exclusively

400 Alginate BPF

401 Sodium alginate
402 Potassium alginate
404 Calcium alginate
406 If
407 Carrageenan and its salts of Na, K, NH4(included the
furcelaran
407a Eucheuma algal
410 Carob gum
412 Guar gum
413 tragacanth gum
415 Xanthan gum
440 Pectins (amidated and non-amidated)
466 Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose
CODEX STAN 70-1981 Page 3 of 8

Modified starches (chemically)

1401 Acid-treated starches BPF

1402 Starches treated with alkalis
1404 Oxidized starch
1410 Monostarch phosphate
1412 Dialdehyde starch phosphate, esterified with
sodium trimetaphosphate, esterified with oxychloride
of phosphorus
1413 Phosphate of dialkyl phosphate
1414 Acetylated dialdehyde phosphate
1420 Starch acetate esterified with anhydride
acetic
1421 Starch acetate esterified with vinyl acetate
1422 Acetylated dialdehyde adipate
1440 Hydroxypropyl starch
1442 Hydroxypropyl dialdehyde phosphate

pH regulators

260 Glacial acetic acid BPF

270 Lactic acid (L-, D- and DL-)
330 Citric acid

Natural flavorings

Oils with spices BPF

Extracts of spices
Smoky aromas (prepared in naturals with smoky flavor and
extracts of the same

Only for canned tuna and bonito

450 Disodium diphosphate 10 mg/kg, expressed as P205

(with the inclusion of phosphates
naturals)

5. HYGIENE AND HANDLING

5.1 It is recommended that the product to which the provisions of this Standard apply be prepared in
compliance with the appropriate sections of the International Recommended Code of Practice - Principles
General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1 -1969), the Code of Practice for Fish and
Fishery Products (CAC/RCP 52-2003), the International Code of Recommended Practices for Hygiene
for Low-Acid Foods and Packaged Acidified Low-Acid Foods (CAC/RCP 23-1979) and
other relevant Practical Hygiene Codes of the Codex and Codes of Practice.
5.2 The products must comply with the established microbiological criteria in accordance with the
Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods (CAC/GL 21-
1997).
5.3 The final product will be free from any foreign material that poses a danger to health.
human.
5.4 When the appropriate sampling methods and prescribed examinations are applied
Codex Alimentarius Commission, the product:
i) will be exempt from microorganisms capable of developing under normal conditions of
storage
CODEX STAN 70-1981 Page 4 of 8

ii) no sample unit shall contain histamine in amounts exceeding 20 mg per 100 g;
iii) it will not contain any other substances including the substances arrived from
microorganisms, in amounts that may pose a danger to health, according to the
standards established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission; and
iv) it shall be contained in a container free from defects that could prevent its airtight closure.

6. LABELING
In addition to the provisions of the General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods
(CODEX STAN 1-1985) the following specific provisions shall apply:
6.1 Name of the food
6.1.1 The name of the product that will be declared on the label will be 'tuna' or 'bonito' and may be preceded or
followed by the common or vulgar name of the species, according to the legislation and customs of the country where it is
sell the product in a way that does not mislead the consumer.
6.1.2 The product name may be qualified or accompanied by a term that describes the color.
of the product, as long as the word 'white' is used exclusively for Thunnus alalunga
The terms "light", "dark" and "mix" are used exclusively in accordance with the current regulations in the
country where the product is sold.
6.2 Presentation format
The presentation format stipulated in Section 2.3 must be stated alongside the common name.
6.2.1 The name of the packaging medium will be part of the food's name.
7. SAMPLING, EXAMINATION AND ANALYSIS

7.1 Sampling
i) The sampling of batches for the examination of the final product, as indicated in Section 3.3, will be carried out in
compliance with an appropriate sampling plan with an NCA of 6.5.
ii) The lot sampling for the determination of net weight and drained weight will be carried out when
proceed, in accordance with an appropriate sampling plan that meets the criteria
established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
7.2 Sensory and physical exam
The samples taken for sensory and physical examination will be evaluated by individuals.
especially qualified for this, in accordance with the provisions of sections 7.3 to 7.5 of Annex A and
from the Guidelines for the Sensory Evaluation of Fish and Fishery Products in the Laboratory (CAC/GL 31-1999).
7.3 Determination of net weight
The net weight of all sample units will be determined using the indicated procedure.
next:
weigh the unopened packaging;
ii) open the container and extract the contents;
iii) weigh the closed container (including the lid) after removing the excess liquid and
the adhered flesh
iv) subtract the weight of the empty container from the weight of the unopened container. The result will be the net content.

7.4 Determination of the drained weight

The weight of all the sample units will be determined by the procedure.
next
i) maintain the container at a temperature of 20 ºC to 30 ºC for a minimum of 12 hours
prior to the exam;
CODEX STAN 70-1981 Page 5 of 8

ii) open the container and pour the contents distributing it into a previously weighted circular sieve that
have a wire mesh with square openings of 2.8 mm x 2.8 mm;
iii) tilt the sieve at an angle of approximately 17º to 20º and let the fish drain for
two minutes from the moment the product has been poured into the sieve;
weigh the sieve with the drained fish;
v) to determine the weight of the drained fish, subtract the weight of the sieve from the weight of the sieve.
with the drained product.
7.5 Determination of drained washed weight (for products in sauce)
i) Maintain the container at a temperature of 20 ºC to 30 ºC for a minimum of 12 hours before the...
exam
ii) open and tilt the container and wash the coating sauce; then wash the contents with running water
hot (approximately 40 ºC), using a wash bottle (for example, made of material
plastic) on a previously weighed circular sieve;
iii) wash the contents of the sieve with hot water until all the sauce sticking to it is completely removed; in case
It is necessary to separate the optional ingredients (spices, vegetables, fruits) with tweezers.
Tilt the sieve at an angle of approximately 17º to 20º and let the fish drain for
two minutes from the moment the washing has been completed;
iv) remove the water adhered to the bottom of the sieve using a paper towel. Weigh the sieve with the
washed drained fish
v) the drained washed weight is obtained by subtracting the weight of the sieve from the weight of the sieve with the product
drained.
7.6 Determination of the presentation
The presentation of all sample units will be determined by the following procedure:
i) open the can and drain the contents, following the procedure indicated in 7.4;
ii) extract the content and place it in a mesh sieve with openings of 1.2 cm on each side, equipped
with a collecting vessel;
iii) separate the l from the scado c with a spatula trying not to destroy the configuration of the pieces.
Make sure that the smaller pieces of fish are placed over the openings of the
mesh in such a way that they can fall into the collecting vessel;
iv) separate the material contained in the vessel according to its form into small pieces, crumbs
(crumbled) or paste and weigh each portion in order to determine the weight of each component;
v) if it has been declared that the product is presented in "pieces", weigh the sieve with the retained fish and
record the weight. Subtract the weight of the empty sieve to determine the weight of the compact tuna and in
pieces;
vi) if it has been declared that the product is presented in a 'compact' form, extract the pieces from the sieve
of smaller size and weigh again. Subtract the weight of the sieve to determine the weight of the tuna
compact
CODEX STAN 70-1981 Page 6 of 8

Calculations
i) Express the weight of the fish in small pieces, shredded (in crumbs or in paste form)
as a percentage of the total drained weight.
Weight of the small pieces
small pieces= x100
Total weight of drained fish
ii) Calculate the weight of the fish compacted and in pieces retained in the net using a scale and
expressed as a percentage of the total drained weight of the fish.
Weight of compact and chunked fish
compact fish and in pieces= x100
Total weight of drained fish
iii) Calculate the weight of the compact fish retained in the sieve by means of a subtraction and express as
percentage of the total drained weight of the fish.
Weight of compact fish
compact fish= x100
Total weight of drained fish
7.7 Determination of histamine content
AOAC 977.13
8. DEFINITION OF DEFECTS
A sample unit will be considered defective when it presents any of the characteristics.
which are determined subsequently.
8.1 Strange subjects
Any material present in the unit demonstrates that it does not come from fish or from the environment.
packaging that does not pose a danger to human health and is easily recognizable without a label
increase or detect by any method, even by using a magnifying glass, that reveals
the non-compliance with good manufacturing and hygiene practices.
8.2 Smell and taste
A sample unit affected by persistent and unmistakable objectionable odors or flavors that
be a sign of decomposition or rancidity.
8.3 Texture
i) Excessively soft meat not characteristic of the species that make up the product; or
ii) excessively tough meat not characteristic of the species that make up the product; or
iii) presence of holes in the meat in more than 5 percent of the drained content.
8.4 Color alterations
A sample unit with clear color alterations that are a sign of decomposition or
rancidity with sulfur spots affecting more than 5 percent of the drained content.
8.5 Objectionable subjects
A sample unit that presents one or more struvite crystals longer than 5 mm.
CODEX STAN 70-1981 Page 7 of 8

9. ACCEPTANCE OF THE LOT

A lot will be considered to meet the requirements of this Standard if:
i) the total number of defective units, classified in accordance with Section 8 is
greater than the acceptance number (c) of an appropriate sampling plan with an AQL of 6.5;
ii) the total number of sample units that do not adjust to the presentation format and to the
the color designation defined in Section 2.3 is not greater than the acceptance number (c)
of an appropriate sampling plan with a NCA of 6.5;
iii) the average weight or the average weight incurred, as appropriate, of all the units of
The examined sample is not less than the declared weight, provided that none of the containers taken...
individually presents an excessive weight deficit;
iv) the requirements regarding food additives and hygiene and labeling of food are met
sections 4, 5, and 6.
CODEX STAN 70-1981 Page 8 of 8

ANNEX 'A': SENSORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

Complete the external examination of the can to determine if there are defects in the packaging that affect
the integrity of it or if the base of the container is bulged.
2. Open the can and complete the weight determination in accordance with the defined procedures.
in sections 7.3 and 7.4.
3. Examine the product to determine the presence of color alterations.
4. Carefully extract the product and determine the form of presentation in accordance with the
procedures described in Section 7.5.
5. Examine the product to determine the presence of color alterations, foreign materials or
crystals of struvite. The presence of hard spines indicates insufficient processing and makes
a sterility evaluation is necessary.
6. Determine the smell, taste, and texture in accordance with the Guidelines for Sensory Evaluation
Fish and Seafood in the Laboratory (CAC/GL 31-1999).