9 replies to this topic

[sivananthan]

Morning all,

 

Kindly someone could help to provide microbe and chemical specification for food and reference of spec as well (Finsih product)? Basically we are dealing with fresh cut vegetables. The process involved such as cutting, shredding, washing & disinfection, spinning & drying, and vacuum packed and we are ISO 22000 certified company. Which spec we should refer to? Please advice  

[Charles.C]

Morning all,

 

Kindly someone could help to provide microbe and chemical specification for food and reference of spec as well (Finsih product)? Basically we are dealing with fresh cut vegetables. The process involved such as cutting, shredding, washing & disinfection, spinning & drying, and vacuum packed and we are ISO 22000 certified company. Which spec we should refer to? Please advice  

 

Hi sivananthan,

 

I assume RTE.

 

I assume chilled storage.

 

Local Distribution ?

 

What is the declared shelf-life ?

[QATX12]

Check these out:

 

https://ec.europa.eu...cal_criteria_en

http://eur-lex.europ...ELEX:32005R2073

https://www.food.gov...s/microbial.pdf

https://www.fda.gov/...s/ucm064458.htm

https://www.food.gov...s/microbial.pdf

www.unitedfresh.org/content/uploads/2014/07/FST_MicroWhite-Paper.pdf

[Charles.C]

Check these out:

 

https://ec.europa.eu...cal_criteria_en

http://eur-lex.europ...ELEX:32005R2073

https://www.food.gov...s/microbial.pdf

https://www.fda.gov/...s/ucm064458.htm

https://www.food.gov...s/microbial.pdf

www.unitedfresh.org/content/uploads/2014/07/FST_MicroWhite-Paper.pdf

 

Hi QATX,

 

Thks for the links.

 

The overall micro. impression, i think, is that no "official" specifications exist plus industry also has major reservations regarding "Standards". Other than the usual zero tolerants.

 

Here is a relatively ageing document but, afaik, it does not cover vacuum packing. This can be a different ball game.

 

 fresh produce - microbiological quality.doc   284.5KB   124 downloads

[QATX12]

Hi QATX,

 

Thks for the links.

 

The overall micro. impression, i think, is that no "official" specifications exist plus industry also has major reservations regarding "Stadards". Other than the usual zero tolerants.

 

Here is a relatively ageing document but, afaik, it does not cover vacuum packing. This can be a different ball game.

 

fresh produce - microbiological quality.doc

 

Hi Charles,

   The FDA.gov link briefly covers the Modified Atmosphere Packaging and microorganisms of concern. Further analysis would have to be conducted by the manufacturer of course. One must also consider that the customer may require more stringent microbial limits.

[Charles.C]

Hi Charles,

   The FDA.gov link briefly covers the Modified Atmosphere Packaging and microorganisms of concern. Further analysis would have to be conducted by the manufacturer of course. One must also consider that the customer may require more stringent microbial limits.

 

Hi QATX,

 

This is what was concerning me but fresh produce is not my immediate area of familiarity -

 

 vacpack.pdf   63.27KB   81 downloads

[sivananthan]

Hi Charles,

 

Yes RTE Mix salads and coleslaw. The shelf life for most our product is 0 (production date) + 5days. We are supplying restaurant around malaysia, Singapore, Thailand etc. Our CCPs are raw material chill storage, disinfection, finish storage and distribution. Temperature control 2 to 5 Celsius 

[Charles.C]

 

Hi Charles,

 

Yes RTE Mix salads and coleslaw. The shelf life for most our product is 0 (production date) + 5days. We are supplying restaurant around malaysia, Singapore, Thailand etc. Our CCPs are raw material chill storage, disinfection, finish storage and distribution. Temperature control 2 to 5 Celsius 

 

 

Hi sivananthan,

 

Thks for yr info.

My Australian attachment in Post 4, I think, mainly used data based on UK published documents.

 

I have for convenience extracted the relevant UK Micro.Tables from, afaik, the 2 most recent publications (PHLS-2000, HPA-2009) and compiled together into one Excel sheet since i found it rather laborious to scan through some of the actual documents.

 

 Guidelines Microbiological Quality-Safety RTE Foods, 1.1 .xls   2.15MB   68 downloads

 

I included the 2000 document since a large amount is similar/identical to 2009 version (but NOT all) BUT the format is IMO initially far easier to browse through. However the 2009 table considerably expands on the info. regarding product categories (see Table5 in Excel)  and interpretations of the tabled data so MUST be cross-checked for current viewpoint/any numerical changes.

 

For example, coleslaw is listed in both versions (categories 3/7 respectively) and you can see that the opinion regarding APC has changed (less strict) by a factor of 10. Of course yr local Regulations will override this compiled data if different.

 

I have enclosed the source documents for the Excel compiled data below for convenience plus they contain additional interpretive material which may be of interest. Plus the excel cannot be searched (picture) but the source documents can.

 

Hopefully of some Generic usefulness.

 

 PHLS - Guidelines for the Microbiological Quality RTE Foods,2000.pdf   138.57KB   40 downloads

 HPA, Guidelines to assess Microbiological Safety RTE Foods,2009.pdf   998.98KB   45 downloads

 

PS - if any transfer errors are noted, please inform.

 

PPS - I also noticed this fairly recent (2015) Irish microbiological survey of the Fresh Produce Industry attached below. Data is mainly evaluated against EC Standards.

 

 Micro. Survey (Ireland) of RTE, pre-cut, Fresh Herbs and Salad Leaves,2015.pdf   812.63KB   53 downloads

[sivananthan]

Dear All,

 

As per information gathered i have done product description for fresh cut vegetables. Kindly please advice if any other additional information needed for the product description. thanks in advance

 

Thanks

Siva

 

Attached Files

•  1-Nandos.xlsx   14.44KB   56 downloads

[Charles.C]

Dear All,

 

As per information gathered i have done product description for fresh cut vegetables. Kindly please advice if any other additional information needed for the product description. thanks in advance

 

Thanks

Siva

 

Hi Siva,

 

I assume this material is not blanched prior to packing.

 

A couple of comments.

 

It makes a difference whether the specification is intended to be contractually binding or is just a "flyer". I have assumed the latter, if otherwise usually need to include additional items, eg number of samples for micro., tolerances, etc. This is discussed briefly in last attachment of post 3.

 

IMO yr micro.spec. is incomplete, eg Salmonella, L.monocytogenes, S.aureus. The micro. format is up to you but any quantitative claims should be capable of validation. IMEX the 3 entries are numerically rather ambitious for a raw vegetable.

 

For "Physical" it is usual to reference the appearance, texture, colour, odour of the material, as being, for example, "typical of the species".