Section 730. Parasite destruction

A. Except as specified in subsection B of this section, before service or sale in ready-to-eat form, raw, raw-marinated, partially cooked, or marinated-partially cooked fish shall be:

1. Frozen and stored at a temperature of -4°F (-20°C) or below for a minimum of 168 hours (seven days) in a freezer;^P

2. Frozen at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and stored at -31°F (-35°C) or below for a minimum of 15 hours;^P or

3. Frozen at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and stored at -4°F (-20°C) or below for a minimum of 24 hours.^P

B. Subsection A of this section does not apply to:

1. Molluscan shellfish;

2. A scallop product consisting only of the shucked abductor muscle;

3. Tuna of the species Thunnus alalunga, Thunnus albacares (Yellowfin tuna), Thunnus atlanticus, Thunnus maccoyii (Bluefin tuna, Southern), Thunnus obesus (Bigeye tuna), or Thunnus thynnus (Bluefin, Northern);

4. Aquacultured fish, such as salmon, that:

a. If raised in open water, are raised in net pens, or

b. Are raised in land-based operations such as ponds or tanks, and

c. Are fed formulated feed, such as pellets, that contains no live parasites infective to the aquacultured fish; or

5. Fish eggs that have been removed from the skein and rinsed.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 24, Issue 02, eff. October 16, 2007; amended, Virginia Register Volume 26, Issue 07, eff. January 1, 2010; Volume 32, Issue 22, eff. July 12, 2016.

Statutory Authority

§ 3.2-5121 of the Code of Virginia.