On October 3, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised the product standards for Atlantic Boneless Cod Fillets and Shelled Wild Shrimp, effective the date of publication. Key Elements:

  - Boneless Atlantic cod fillet products are to be ice-coated and kept at temperatures below -18°C at all times ;

  - Raw materials for processing boneless cod fillets are to be kept at a temperature of -18°C or below for a period not exceeding 12 months;

  - Frozen raw material shrimp to be stored at temperatures of -18°C or below for not more than 18 months;

  - Peeled wild shrimp products, during processing, may use preservatives (e.g. phosphates) as appropriate to retain moisture and flavor, and are not permitted to have any other ingredients added, and the added ingredients must be indicated on the product label;

  - All products must not contain metallic foreign objects, testing for stainless steel, ferrous and non-ferrous metals (e.g., lead, copper and aluminum) is required, and the HACCP plan program should identify and describe the detection equipment, testing procedures, sensitivity, frequency of equipment validation and corrective action procedures;

  - Milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, shellfish, nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans and sesame seeds, and any proteins (other than refined oils) containing that food ingredient are the primary food allergens.

  - Product traceability information includes: production batch number and corresponding date of production for each batch, shipping container number, and company number.

For more details see: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Supplement512FishandFisheryProductsOctober2024.pdf