1.1This guide covers procedures for determination of the effects of water-related contaminants on the odor and taste of live fish or fishery products after alleged exposure where flavor impairment is a suspected issue.

1.2This guide addresses safety, harvested quality, sample preparation, assessor selection and training, testing procedures with assessor instructions, as well as test environment and parameters.

1.3This guide is applicable to product categories from aquaculture and wild-caught sectors. The range of contaminated products could be from a small-scale water source, such as an estuary, or a limited river system, to a large-scale source, such as a bay, gulf or portion of an ocean. For details on how these methods compare to field- or laboratory-exposed fishery samples, see Ref (1).2

1.4Also covered in this guide are fish species, harvest method (wild-caught versus aquaculture/farmed fish), post-harvest handling, processing methods, and storage.

1.5This guide provides suggested procedures and is not meant to exclude alternate procedures that may be effective. It also does not address all of the nuances of testing throughout the world. It is the responsibility of the user to be aware of their local guidelines and apply them as needed. Some useful resources are also cited in this guide.

1.6The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.7This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific hazards statements are given in Section 7.

1.8This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.