About the Seafood HACCP Alliance

What is the Alliance?

The National Seafood HACCP Alliance (SHA) provides a current, convenient and cost-effective education and training program. The structure for the SHA program is based on collaboration among federal and state food inspection officials, academic food safety researchers and educators, and various representatives from the seafood and aquaculture industry. The program is directed by a voluntary SHA Steering Committee. Any individual, company, agency or nation can participate in the SHA program through communications with the SHA Steering Committee. The SHA Steering Committee directs development of all training materials and courses, and the accompanying SHA Protocol.

The SHA Protocol is maintained by the Association of Food and Drug Officials. SHA Protocol are intended to maintain a uniform and standard training format based on qualified trainers, current training materials, approved courses, and course audits for both domestic and international audiences. AFDO records and issues all certificates for participants that complete an approved SHA course. Certificates are issued for SHA courses in ‘HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Training’ and ‘Sanitation Control Procedures for Processing Fish and Fishery Products.’ The HACCP course is offered in both a formal classroom setting and through a self-guided Internet version that participants can complete online. To obtain an AFDO certificate of course completion, the Internet participants must later attend a one-day “Segment Two” session in person. The SHA training materials include the standard training manuals, model HACCP plans, the FDA Hazards Guide and Compendium of Fish and Fisheries Product, Processes, Hazards, and Controls. The HACCP models are for reference as example plans for processing and importation of various seafood products. Some of these materials have been translated for international audiences.

The SHA program and training materials are designed to meet the HACCP training requirements established under Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 123.10 of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s mandatory seafood HACCP inspection program. The mandates in 21 CFR Part 123.10 require that certain HACCP activities must be completed by a “HACCP-trained individual.” The National Seafood HACCP Alliance course is the standardized curriculum by which FDA will evaluate other training courses. A HACCP-trained individual is one who has successfully completed FDA-recognized training in the application of HACCP to fishery products (at least equivalent to that received under a “standardized curriculum” recognized by FDA) or has acquired the knowledge through job experience. Attending a SHA course is not mandatory, but it does provide assurances that the resulting knowledge will be consistent with regulatory expectations.