2003/774/EC: Commission Decision of 30 October 2003 approving certain treatments to inhibit the development of pathogenic micro-organisms in bivalve molluscs and marine gastropods (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 3984)
Date: 2003-10-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: disease prevention, foodstuffs legislation, mollusc

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II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 30 October 2003

approving certain treatments to inhibit the development of pathogenic micro-organisms in bivalve
molluscs and marine gastropods

(notified under document number C(2003) 3984)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/774/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July
1991 laying down the health conditions for the production
and the placing on the market of fishery products (1), as last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 806/2003 (2), and in particular
Chapter IV(IV)(2) of the Annex thereto,

(4)

(5)

These processes are adequate to ensure the health of the
products and it is not necessary therefore to subject
them in advance to purification or relaying.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on
the Food Chain and Animal Health,

Whereas:

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(1)

(2)

Commission Decision 93/25/EEC of 11 December 1992
approving certain treatments to inhibit the development
of pathogenic micro-organisms in bivalve molluscs and
marine gastropods (3) has been substantially amended (4).
In the interests of clarity and rationality the said Deci-
sion should be codified.

Bivalve molluscs and marine gastropods harvested in the
areas referred to in Chapter I(1)(b) and (c) of the Annex
to Council Directive 91/492/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying
down the health conditions for the production and the
placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs (5), as last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 806/2003, constitute a
potential threat to consumers if they are not subjected to
appropriate treatment.

Article 1

The treatments set out in Annex I to this Decision for inhi-
biting the development of pathogenic micro-organisms in
bivalve molluscs and marine gastropods which have been
harvested in the areas referred to in Chapter I(1)(b) and (c) of
the Annex to Directive 91/492/EEC and which have not been
subjected to relaying or purification before being placed on the
market are hereby approved.

(3)

Spain, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have
put forward treatments to inhibit the development of
pathogens in bivalve molluscs and marine gastropods.

Article 2

Decision 93/25/EEC is repealed.

(1) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 15.
(2) OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 16, 25.1.1993, p. 22.
(4) See Annex II to this Decision.
(5) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 1.

References to the repealed Decision shall be construed as refer-
ences to this Decision and shall be read in accordance with the
correlation table in Annex III.

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This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 3

Done at Brussels, 30 October 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

ANNEX I

TREATMENTS

A. Sterilisation

Bivalve molluscs and marine gastropods may be subjected to sterilisation in hermetically sealed containers which
comply with the requirements of Chapter IV(4) of the Annex to Directive 91/493/EEC.

B. Other heat treatments

Bivalve molluscs and marine gastropods in shell and not frozen may undergo one of the following processes:

1.

immersion in boiling water for the period required to raise the internal temperature of the mollusc flesh to not
less than 90 °C and maintenance of this minimum temperature for a period of not less than 90 seconds;

2. cooking for three to five minutes in an enclosed space, in which the temperature is between 120 and 160 °C and
the pressure is between 2 and 5 kg/cm2, followed by shelling and freezing of the flesh to a core temperature of
- 20 °C;

3. steaming under pressure in an enclosed space, provided that the requirements relating to cooking time and the
internal temperature of the mollusc flesh referred to in point 1 are met and the uniform distribution of heat in
the enclosed space is guaranteed by validated methodology in the framework of the own-checks programme.

ANNEX II

Repealed Decision with its amendment

Decision 93/25/EEC (OJ L 16, 25.1.1993, p. 22)

Decision 97/275/EC (OJ L 108, 25.4.1997, p. 52)

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ANNEX III

Correlation table

Decision 93/25/EEC

This Decision

Article 1

—

Article 2

Annex

—

—

Article 1

Article 2

Article 3

Annex I

Annex II

Annex III