DEAS 832: 2021  
ICS 67.020 
© EA C 2021                                                                                                                               Second  Edition  
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Fish industry — Operational cleanliness and hygiene — Guidelines  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  DEAS  832: 2021  
ii © EAC  2021  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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Violators may be persecuted  DEAS  832: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Developm ent of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are enco untered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee mandated 
to develop and issue East African Standards.   
The Committee is c omposed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together 
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards 
are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards  Bodies in the Partner States. The comments 
received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures 
of the Community.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances . Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
FDEAS 832 was prepared by the Technical Committee EASC/TC 003, Fish and fishery products . 
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDA RD DEAS 832:2021  
 
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  1 
 Fish indus try — Opera tional cleanliness and hygiene —
Guidelines  
1 Scope  
This Draft East African S tandard covers guidelines for operational cleanliness  and hygiene  in the fish industry.  
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for t he application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
CAC/RCP 52 -2003, Code of practice for fish and fish ery product s 
EAS 39, Hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry ― Code of practice  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply.  
3.1 
fish harbor  
designated place on the shore of a waterbody (sea, lake, rivers, dams) where fish i s landed and offloaded  
 
3.2 
block  
permanent structure/building that contains number of units/ compartment used for storage and selling of fresh 
or frozen fish  
 
3.3 
sea water  
water from fresh and marine water bodies  
 
3.4  
fish 
marine and fresh water fish an d all other aquatic foods like shell fish and other marine invertebrates of edible 
nature  
3.5 
detergent  
chemical substance or chemical mixture used in conjunction with water to assist cleaning  
3.6 
soil 
fish and food residues  including  dirt, dust, grease, o il, sand  and debris which have to be removed from  food 
contact and non -food contact surfaces of the containers, equipment, tools, plants and premises during 
cleaning  DEAS  832: 2021  
2 © EAC  2021  – All rights reserved  
 3.7 
fish market  
all authorized place where fish is handled and sold for human consumption  
3.8 
disinfectant  
chemical or physical agent which reduces the number of micro -organisms in the environment, to a level that 
does not compromise food safety or suitability  
3.9 
clean water  
water from any source where harmful microbiological contamination, su bstances and/or toxic plankton are not 
present in such quantities as may affect the health, quality of fish, shellfish and their products   
4 Types of soil in fish industry  
The soil to be removed from equipment and other surfaces may be one or a combination  of the following:  
a) wet fish, slime, blood, gut, gut -contents, scale s, stain, head portions and oil;  
b) air dried fish residues;  
c) dust, sand , debris; and 
d) cooked and hardened fish residues.  
5 Cleaning  
5.1 Outline of the cleaning process  
5.1.1  General  
Pre-cleani ng and wet cleaning processes in the fish industry comprise:  
a) wetting of the soiled surface;  
b) removal of soil from the surface in a dissolved or dispersed form. Mechanical action assists this process, 
and hot detergent solution is often advantageous; a nd 
c) removal of the last traces of the detergent and soil by adequate rinsing with clean water.  
NOTE  Soil which has been allowed to dry out or has become baked, is particularly resistant to removal. If articles 
have to be left even for an hour before thor ough cleaning it is worth leaving them to soak in water or detergent solution.  
5.1.2  Principle  
Fish residues in wet condition should be removed by hosing with cold water. If hardened, they are very difficult 
to clean and the use of scrapers and scrubbers m ay become unavoidable. Frequent cleanin g and hosing 
should be restored  in order to avoid more prolonged and drastic methods. Wooden and other porous surfaces 
may readily become sodden with fish slime and may create serious problems of cleaning at later sta ges.  
The surface to be cleaned should first of all be scrubbed with a brush in order to remove solid organic matter, 
then flushed with potable water and subsequently scrubbed with a detergent. The excess of detergent may, 
then, be washed off and the disin fectant at the required concentration.  DEAS 832: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  3 
 NOTE  In the case of movable utensils like basins, trays, tubes, baskets, knives, scissors, etc, it will be preferable to 
dip them in detergent and disinfectant solutions rather than mere cleaning with the respective s olutions.  
5.2 Cleaning aids  
5.2.1  Detergents  
5.2.1.1  Classification of detergents  
Detergents in general are of three types, namely, acidic, alkaline and neutral. Synthetic detergents, 
increasingly used by the industry because of their neutral character and  non-detrimental value towards metals 
should be preferred. For specific purposes such as removal of slime from the surfaces of utensils and 
equipment with which fish comes in direct contact, alkaline detergents may be used.  
5.2.1.2  Handling and use of dete rgents  
5.2.1.2.1  Storage  
Detergents should be stored in covered and labelled containers under lock and key  in a dry and cool place.  
5.2.1.2.2  Measurement  
Detergents should be carefully measured or weighed while preparing their solutions  according to 
manufa cturer’s instructions . Inappropriate  measuring or weighing may lead to waste, ineffective cleanin g or 
damage to the plant.  
5.2.1.2.3  Instructions for use  
Detailed instructions for the use of detergents and the frequency of cleaning including any necessary 
precautions to be observed should be given to the operators.  
5.2.2  Disinfectants  
5.2.2.1  General  
Use of disinfectants is necessary as the detergents alone may not be capable of bringing down the bacterial 
load on the surfaces of utensils and equipment to a ny appreciable extent. Chlorine disinfectants are widely 
used for this purpose. Chlorine is available in two forms, that is, calcium hypochlorite (solid) (bleaching 
powder) and sodium hypochlorite (liquid).  
5.2.2.2  Precautions for storage  
Chlorine present in both forms (solid and liquid) is unstable and is easily lost in the presence of light and high 
temperature. It should be kept in airtight  amber -coloured bottles or containers and stored  in a dry and cool 
place.  
NOTE  Hypochlorite compounds should not be mixed with acidic compounds since dangerous fumes are produced 
when this is done. Prolonged contact of these substances with the skin should he avoided.  
5.2.2.3  Instructions for use  
Detailed instructions for the use of disinfectant and the frequency of cle aning including necessary precautions 
to be observed should be given to the operators . 
 
 
 DEAS  832: 2021  
4 © EAC  2021  – All rights reserved  
 5.2.3  Utensils  
Desired efficiency of any cleaning operation can be achieved only if the utensils have a clean and smooth 
surface without any crevices. As cane/bamboo baskets and wood have a tendency to absorb slime and 
thereby cultivating a large number of microorganisms, they should not be used in fish processing industry. In 
unavoidable cases like fish hold, boat deck, the wood may be used.  
The metal selected for th e fabrication utensils should have resistance to the action of detergents and 
disinfectants used in the cleaning operation. Stainless steel utensils are recommended for the purpose.  
5.2.4  Mechanical cleaning tools  
5.2.4.1  Vacuum cleaners  
The vacuum cleaner s are of great use in fish meal plants to prevent accumulation of solid meal particles which 
attract  insect  infestation or harbouring of micro -organisms. They are also useful in cleaning roof girders and 
trusses.  
5.2.4 .2 Scrubbers  
Scrubber may be used for cleaning floors. They consist of a rotating brush or brushes kept in contact with the 
floor by the weight of the machine or manually. The detergent solution may be delivered at the point where the 
brushes are operating.  
5.2.4.3  Pressure cleaners  
Pressure c leaners are of great use in cleaning equipment, such as filleting, grading or skinning machine so 
that the spray may be directed to the inaccessible parts of the equipment. They are also useful in washing ice 
boxes, wagons, and vans used for transporting f ish. 
5.2.4.4  Automatic chlorinators  
Automatic chlorinators may be fitted to the process water system to ensure uninterrupted chlorination of the 
water supply.  
5.2.5  Surfaces to be cleaned  
5.2.5 .1 General  
In fishing and fish -processing industries, differen t types of surfaces are required to be cleaned, namely, 
wooden decks and fish holds in small wooden trawlers; steel floors in steel trawlers; and cemented and tiled 
floors in processing units. A few of the wide range of articles that require regular cleani ng are utensils made of 
aluminium, galvanized -iron sheets, stainless steel, polythene or any other suitable material; tables made of 
wood and lined with aluminium or stainless steel; wooden boxes; cane baskets. The  surface should be 
smooth and easy to clea n and disinfect.  
 
 
 
 
 DEAS 832: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  5 
 5.2.5 .2 Fishing boats  
The boat deck, fish hold and the utensils used in the vessel should be scrubbed with a neutral detergent, such 
as sodium salt of higher sulphonated fatty alcohols (0.5 %). After washing off the excess detergent, 
disinfectant like sodium hypochlorite should  be applied as per instructions for use . For fishing vessels at sea, 
normally sea water is used for washing the deck and fish -room after treatment with detergents and 
disinfectants. There is no particular objecti on to using sea water provided that the water is drawn from the 
open sea, since near shore water is often polluted with sewage  like, industrial wastes . 
5.2.5 .3 Fish harbour  
Polluted water should not be used for washing purposes; only clean water should be used.  Cleaning 
procedures and the concentrations of the detergent and disinfectants should be similar to those described 
under 5.2.3.2. Drains and gutters may be washed off first, followed by sprinkling of bleaching powder.  
5.2.5 .4 Vehicles for transport  
These vehicles often develop fish smell which is difficult to remove by mere hosing with water. The internal 
surface has to be effectively cleaned with water mixed with detergent after removal of the solid particles.  
5.2.5.5 Primary process centres, fish me al plants, freezing and canning factories  
Washing of the utensils and equipment is similar to those described under 5.2.3.2. The floor may be washed 
with a higher concentration of chlorine after treatment with the detergent.  
6 Fish market  
6.1  Location  
6.1.1 Fish markets should preferably be located at places away from vegetable, meat or other food 
markets. A prerequisite should be that main services, such as potable water, electricity and proper hygienic 
sewage disposal facilities are available.  
6.1.2  It is recommended that fish markets should deal solely with the sale of fish and not with any other 
food or food products. The mixed shops purveying meats, marine foods and vegetables shall be discouraged.  
6.2 Blocks  
6.2.1  A block shall consist of a number of fish sta lls and shall be enclosed in a  fence which barricades entry 
of dogs, cats and other undesirable elements into the block.  
6.2.2  Each block shall be provided with a potable water storage supply tank with taps to facilitate drawing of 
water by fish st alls. 
6.2.3  Other facilities like those of toilet and arrangements for washing of hands shall also be provided in a 
block.  
6.2.4  Maintenance of hygienic conditions  like repairs of facilities shall be the collective responsibility of the 
stall holders.  
6.2.5 Each block should preferably be provided with a chill/cold facility maintained at 0  °C – 4 °C/ -18 °C or 
lower . 
 DEAS  832: 2021  
6 © EAC  2021  – All rights reserved  
 6.3 Layout  
Layout and arrangement of equipment should be adequate enough to allow work be carried under hygienic 
condition s to preclude conta mination of the product and separate the clean and dirty areas of the building.  
6.4 Other requirements  
6.4.1  The market shall be provided with centralized services of water, fish storage and icing.  
6.4.2  A fish store and an ice store shall be provided at t he market.  
6.4.3  A weighing machine shall be provided.  
6.4.4  A wash tub for washing fish for storage should be provided adjacent to the ice store/chill stall.  
6.4.5  Suitable containers for handling of fish shall be provided in the stall.  
6.4.6  Adequate toi let facilities  should  be provided with recommended ratio of toilet facility per person to be 
1:25 for each of the stalls.  
6.4.7  The doors provided for the stores should be insulated. The doors provided for the entrances to the 
market as well as to the stan ds should also be glazed.  
6.4.8  The windows provided in the market should be glazed and with  a fly-proof net.  
6.4.9  The ceiling of the market should be of cement plain sheets with wooden reapers.  
6.4.10  The flooring shall be mosaic over cement concrete.  
6.4.11 Suitable provision of exhaust fans shall be made in the stalls.  
7 Fresh fish stalls  
7.1 Location  
Fresh fish retail stalls should ensure liberal supply of water, sewage disposal facilities and power supply. They 
should be preferably located at places s eparated from vegetables or other foods. It should also be away from 
meat and poultry since fish are m ore perishable and pick up infection.  
7.2 Sections  
7.2.1  Fish receiving and storage  room  
Fish received in boxes should be emptied immediately an d chilled  to a temperature of 0 °C – 4 °C. The boxes 
should be cleaned immediately for re -use, if  necessary. Surplus fish as well as  fish left over after sales should 
be stored in refrigerator or ice chests. This room may also serve for storage of ice.  
7.2.2  Fish d ressing room  
7.2.2.1  Fish exhibited for sale shall be washed thoroughly in water and freed from viscera and gills, if 
received whole , on cutting board . Washing vats should be coated by linseed oil paint. After washing, the 
dressed fish may be sold as such  or cut into steaks or fillets as required.  
7.2.2.2  Cutting knives of stainless steel blades with sanitary holders shall be employed for dressing of fish. 
Cutlery and equipment should be sterilized using methods such as hot air oven , hot water (75°C - 80 °C, 15 DEAS 832: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  7 
 min); and/or in water containing 50 mg/kg of chlorine for 2 min. All equipment should be washed within 2 h of 
use apart from daily washing while commencing and closing of sales.  
 
7.2.3  Fish sales counter  
7.2.3.1  Fish shall be sold in closed glass ca binets and flies should be prevented by pesticides strips or 
other effective means unless the stall is completely screened from f lies by wire gauze windows of 2 -mm size.  
7.2.3.2  Fish may be exhibited on benches of rust -proof material or wood lacquered whit e at least 50 cm 
above the floor level.  
7.2.3.3  Fish shall not be piled in heaps and bruising of fish should be avoided at all stages.  
7.2.3.4  Fish sold as fillets shall be covered in water -proof paper.  
7.2.3.5  Fish shall be chilled from the time of rece ipt till sale to a temperature of 0 °C – 4 °C with the help 
of ice and iced water.  
7.2.4  Covered passage for customers  
Covered passage before sales counter should be protected from rain and sun.  
7.3 Constructional requirements  
7.3.1  In case walls do not ha ve tiles, they should receive water impermeable, non -flaking coating, white 
vermin -proof oil paint finish. Non -washable ordinary distempers shall not be used. AII joints with walls and 
other surfaces should be smooth and rounded for easy washing. Roof shou ld be  made of appropriate 
material.  
7.3.2  The f loor should be water impermeable and capable of easy washing, built of cement, granite, asphalt 
or smooth hard rubber concrete and free from cracks, joints and open drains. A slope towards the drain is 
recomme nded to ensure appropriate flow of water into the drainage. Actual contact of fish with flooring should 
be avoided and fish should always be placed on glass/metal/clean wooden surface.  
7.3.3  Illumination of fish retail shops should be sufficient . Fish shou ld not be exposed to the sun.  
7.4 Employee hygiene  
Employees in fish retail stalls shall observe hygienic conditions as given in EAS 39 and CAC/RCP 52.  DEAS  832: 2021  
8 © EAC  2021  – All rights reserved  
 DEAS 832: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  9 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY  
IS 14520 : 1998 (R2003) , Fish industry — Operational cleanliness and layout of market — Guidelines  
    
 
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved