PART 5 – U.S. Grading Standards and Procedures for Grading Chapter 1 – U.S. Grading Standards 2 Catfish.................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Cod Fillets ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 Fish Fillet Blocks ................................................................................................................................................ 16 Flounder Fillets .................................................................................................................................................. 23 Frozen Fried Fish Portions ................................................................................................................................. 28 Frozen Fried Fish Sticks ..................................................................................................................................... 34 Frozen Raw Breaded Scallops and Frozen Fried Scallops .................................................................................. 41 Frozen Raw Breaded Shrimp ............................................................................................................................. 49 Frozen Raw Scallops .......................................................................................................................................... 56 General Fillets.................................................................................................................................................... 60 Haddock Fillets .................................................................................................................................................. 66 Halibut Steaks .................................................................................................................................................... 73 Headless Dressed Whiting ................................................................................................................................. 78 Minced Fish Blocks ............................................................................................................................................ 82 Ocean Perch and Rockfish ................................................................................................................................. 89 Raw Breaded Fish Portions ............................................................................................................................... 96 Raw Breaded Fish Sticks .................................................................................................................................. 102 Raw Fish Portions ............................................................................................................................................ 108 Salmon Steaks ................................................................................................................................................. 113 Shrimp Fresh and Frozen................................................................................................................................. 118 Whole and Dressed Fish .................................................................................................................................. 126 Chapter 2 – Minimum flesh content requirements for USDC inspected product .............................................. 133 Chapter 3 – Official cooked fish yields for seafood ............................................................................................. 134 Chapter 4 – Guidelines for Meeting the CN Requirements of the Food and Nutrition Services ........................ 135 General ........................................................................................................................................................ 135 Procedures .................................................................................................................................................. 136 Chapter 5 – Codex Alimentarius Standards for Fish and Fishery Products, Codex guidelines, product standards, and recommended codes of practice for various foods and processes ............................................................. 137 Chapter 6 – Exports ............................................................................................................................................. 139 Chapter 7 – Laboratory Analyses ........................................................................................................................ 139 Chapter 8 – Instructions for Collecting and Submitting Analytical Samples to the NSIL .................................... 140 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 140 General Directions and Supplies ................................................................................................................ 140 Sample Program ......................................................................................................................................... 142 Sample Numbers and Sample Sizes ........................................................................................................... 142 Sample Collection ....................................................................................................................................... 143 Labeling Sample Containers ....................................................................................................................... 144 Information Form ....................................................................................................................................... 145 Packing Samples and Shipping Containers ................................................................................................ 147 Sealing Shipping Containers ....................................................................................................................... 148 Shipping, Transporting, or Delivering Samples ......................................................................................... 148 Chapter 1 – U.S. Grading Standards Catfish Scope and product description (a) These U.S. Standards for Grades apply to products derived from farm-raised, or from rivers and lakes, North American freshwater catfish of the following common commercial species and hybrids thereof: (1) Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) (2) White catfish (Ictalurus catus) (3) Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) (4) Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) (b) Fresh products will be packaged in accordance with good commercial practices and maintained at temperatures necessary for the preservation of the product. Frozen products will be frozen to 0ºF (-18ºC) at their center (thermal core) in accordance with good commercial practices and maintained at temperatures of 0ºF (-18ºC) or less. (c) These Standards for Grades will be implemented in accordance with the guidance set forth in Part II of NOAA Handbook 25, “Inspectors Instructions for Grading North American Freshwater Catfish and Products Made Therefrom”. (d) The product may contain bones when it is clearly labeled on the principle display panel to show that the product contains bones. [52 FR 37155, Oct. 5, 1987, as amended at 55 FR 23551, June 11, 1990] Product presentation Catfish products may be presented and labeled as follows: (a) Types- (1) Fresh, or (2) Frozen. (b) Styles- (1) Skin on, or (2) Skinless. (c) Market forms include but are not limited to the following: (1) Headed and gutted. 2 (2) Headed and dressed or headed and gutted usually with fins removed. This form may be presented with or without the dorsal spine and with or without the collar bone. (3) Whole fillets are practically boneless pieces of fish cut parallel to the entire length of the backbone with the belly flaps and with or without the black membrane. (4) Trimmed fillets are whole fillets without belly flaps. (5) Fillet strips are strips of fillets weighing not less than ¾ ounce. (6) Steaks are units of fish not less than 1½ ounces in weight which are sawn or cut approximately perpendicular (30 degrees to 90 degrees) to the axial length or backbone. They have two reasonably parallel surfaces. The number of tail sections that may be included in the package must not exceed the number of fish cut per package). (7) Nuggets are pieces of belly flaps with or without black membrane and weighing not less than ¾ ounce. (d) Bone classifications. (1) Practically boneless fillet. (2) Bone-in (fillet cut, with bones.) [52 FR 37155, Oct. 5, 1987, as amended 55 FR 23552, June 11, 1990] Grades (a) U.S. Grade A fresh or frozen products will possess good flavor and odor and be within the limits specified for defects for U.S. Grade A quality in Grade Determination of this part. (b) U.S. Grade B fresh or frozen products will possess reasonably good flavor and odor and be within the limits specified for defects for U.S. Grade B quality in Grade Determination of this part. (c) U.S. Grade C fresh or frozen products will possess reasonably good flavor and odor and be within the limits specified for defects for U.S Grade C quality in Grade Determination of this part. Grade determination (a) Procedures for grade determination. The grade will be determined