Overview
NOM-242-SSA1-2009 is Mexico’s sanitary standard for fresh, refrigerated, frozen, and processed fishery products. It was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federacion on 10 February 2011 and entered into force on 10 May 2011. Its transitory provision cancelled the earlier fishery-product standards including NOM-027-SSA1-1993 for fresh/refrigerated/frozen fish and NOM-028-SSA1-1993 for canned fish.
Scope
The standard covers sanitary requirements for bivalve-mollusc capture areas, establishments that process fresh, refrigerated, frozen, and processed fishery products, fishing and collection vessels, and the sanitary specifications that the products themselves must meet.
Heavy-metal and metalloid limits
Section 7.1.8 sets maximum levels for heavy metals and metalloids in fishery products.
Fresh, Refrigerated, And Frozen Products
| Analyte | Matrix/species | Maximum level |
|---|---|---|
| Total arsenic | Crustaceans and bivalve molluscs | 80 mg/kg |
| Cadmium (Cd) | Molluscs | 2.0 mg/kg |
| Cadmium (Cd) | Other fishery products | 0.5 mg/kg |
| Methylmercury | Fish such as tuna, marlin, grouper, and bonito | 1.0 mg/kg |
| Methylmercury | Other fishery products | 0.5 mg/kg |
| Lead (Pb) | Fish and crustaceans | 0.5 mg/kg |
| Lead (Pb) | Molluscs | 1.0 mg/kg |
Processed Fishery Products
| Analyte | Matrix/species | Maximum level |
|---|---|---|
| Cadmium (Cd) | Processed fishery products | 0.5 mg/kg |
| Methylmercury | Fish such as tuna, marlin, grouper, and bonito | 1.0 mg/kg |
| Methylmercury | Other processed fishery products | 0.5 mg/kg |
| Lead (Pb) | Processed fishery products | 1.0 mg/kg |
| Tin (Sn) | Canned products only | 100 mg/kg |
Relationship to older NOMs
The rule cancelled older matrix-specific fishery-product NOMs when it entered into force, including:
- NOM-027-SSA1-1993 for fresh, refrigerated, and frozen fish.
- NOM-028-SSA1-1993 for canned fish.
- Additional 1993/1995 seafood standards for crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, and salted/smoked products.
When a source paper cites an older NOM after 10 May 2011, preserve the author-cited historical benchmark on the source page and note that NOM-242 is the current successor framework.
How this page interacts with HMT&C
This page records Mexican legal maximum levels for fishery products. It does not set HMT&C certification thresholds. Standards math may cite this page as a regulatory cap or comparison point for Mexico-market fishery products, while keeping total-Hg and MeHg distinctions explicit.
Sources
- Diario Oficial de la Federacion. NOM-242-SSA1-2009, Productos y servicios. Productos de la pesca frescos, refrigerados, congelados y procesados. Especificaciones sanitarias y metodos de prueba. Source URL: https://sidofqa.segob.gob.mx/notas/5177531
- Diario Oficial de la Federacion. Modificacion de los numerales 3.1, 4.2, 6.13.3, 7.1.1.1.2, 7.1.5.2.3, 7.1.7, 7.1.10 y eliminacion del Apendice normativo A de NOM-242-SSA1-2009, published 27 December 2012. Source URL: https://www.salud.gob.mx/cdi/nom/compi/Mod-NOM-242-SSA1-2009_271212.pdf
Update history
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