Are raw nuts high risk?

Last week I was at a seminar to review and discuss current US legislation on food safety. It included representatives from GMA as well as state offices. One of the items in the new legislation is rating facilities by risk. Current high risk facilities in the US consist mostly of meats, fih, shell fish and eggs.

It was discussed at the seminar that due to recent issues, anyone handling nuts would also be considered high risk.

This week I was reviewing an SQF audit from a nut supplier and found that they do not consider roasting a kill step (no CCP) and SQF considers them to be exempt from High Risk Food categories.

That leads me to the question, are nuts a High Risk Food?

I'm honestly amazed that nuts aren't already considered high risk considering all the concern there is about them. Plus they make up a significant percentage of the food allergies in the US. I know on production lines that deal with nuts in their products they were treated with the same amount of care as the rest when it comes to clean-up.

Do you mean as in a raw nut is like raw meat? I honestly don't know what the risks are. I suppose they could be similar to raw cocoa?

Last week I was at a seminar to review and discuss current US legislation on food safety. It included representatives from GMA as well as state offices. One of the items in the new legislation is rating facilities by risk. Current high risk facilities in the US consist mostly of meats, fih, shell fish and eggs.

It was discussed at the seminar that due to recent issues, anyone handling nuts would also be considered high risk.

This week I was reviewing an SQF audit from a nut supplier and found that they do not consider roasting a kill step (no CCP) and SQF considers them to be exempt from High Risk Food categories.

That leads me to the question, are nuts a High Risk Food?

My vote was No.

My own view is they are normally something that requires refrigeration for preservation purposes. According to BRC high risk foods are chilled ready to eat/heat where there is a risk of growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.

My vote was No.

My own view is they are normally something that requires refrigeration for preservation purposes. According to BRC high risk foods are chilled ready to eat/heat where there is a risk of growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.

Yep I agree, however, I don't think the poster was using that definition of "high risk" which is as I understand it is a ready to eat food which is likely to support the growth of micro-organisms but more as "raw nuts, are they likely to contain pathogens and hence is roasting a CCP"? Or at least that's what I reckon was meant by the question. Perhaps you could elaborate TSmith?

Dear All,

An interesting topic in terms of side-aspects.

I suggest you have a look at the detailed self-evaluation of the US nut industry perspectives on the risk of their various produce in the, IMO, superb and highly readable (and probably authoritative) pair of attachments provided in this thread, particularly the 2nd one first perhaps.

http://www.ifsqn.com...dpost__p__35792

It would appear that, as already suggested, different conclusions are attainable as per the specific situation. Not so unusual of course, HACCP tends to depend on the input / finished product / flow chart / customer ? Anyway, seems pretty conclusive that the heating step is regarded as a CCP in many cases. And presumably the risk status goes together in those scenarios.

I was interested to see the comment as to some processors delivering "non-RTE" products (eg Pg 9) and not using heating steps. This will certainly demand a rigorous production arrangement if also run together with the production of "Salmonella - free via heating" type product, ie high risk mixed with low (?) risk (see Pg10). The extract below (Pg 22) also poses an interesting situation and occurs IMEX in a very similar way in the generic risk evaluation for most fruit / vegetables. The question is all about validation of course.

salmonella prevention.png   18.02KB   22 downloads

Rgds / Charles.C

PS the poll should perhaps have had a third option - "Sometimes"

Dear All,

An interesting topic in terms of side-aspects.

I suggest you have a look at the detailed self-evaluation of the US nut industry perspectives on the risk of their various produce in the, IMO, superb and highly readable (and probably authoritative) pair of attachments provided in this thread, particularly the 2nd one first perhaps.

http://www.ifsqn.com...dpost__p__35792


salmonella prevention.png   18.02KB   22 downloads

Rgds / Charles.C

PS the poll should perhaps have had a third option - "Sometimes"

Thanks for the attachment Charles. Some good stuff in there but none of it rocket science:

Salmonella Control Elements
1. Prevent ingress or spread of Salmonella in the processing facility.
Conduct a hazard analysis to determine potential sources of Salmonella, including those associated with facility integrity, air flow, personnel and traffic movement, equipment design and incoming raw materials.
2. Enhance the stringency of hygiene practices and controls in the Primary Salmonella Control Area.
3. Apply hygienic design principles to building and equipment design.
4. Prevent or minimize growth of Salmonella within the facility.
5. Establish a raw materials/ingredients control program.
6. Validate control measures to inactivate Salmonella.
7. Establish procedures for verification of Salmonella controls and corrective actions.

Maybe it is useful as a result of complacency on the behalf of manufacturers of low moisture foods

Regards,

Tony

Tony/GMO - Yes, you are correct on the "true" definition of high risk foods. My question does refer more to the fact that there are sizable risks associated with the handling of raw nuts and if not properly dealt with (as in the peanut and pistachio issues last year) they are just as likely to cause problems as high risk foods.

Charles C - Great references as always.

Tony - It is not rocket science and most of the issues were related to complacency (read "negligence") by a few people and now everyone "views" handling of raw nuts as rocket science.

Blegh. Don't I feel embaressed for misunderstanding the question. :P Didn't help I had just sat though a course on allergens where the term "high risk" was used. Had allergens on the brain.

Blegh. Don't I feel embaressed for misunderstanding the question. :P Didn't help I had just sat though a course on allergens where the term "high risk" was used. Had allergens on the brain.

 

 

Don't feel bad, that was my first reaction as well as I thought of it from a allergen point of view. 

 

I agree with the need for a sometimes button as that would be my vote as well.

Don't feel bad, that was my first reaction as well as I thought of it from a allergen point of view. 

 

I agree with the need for a sometimes button as that would be my vote as well.

 

Dear Snookie,

 

Just noticed this post.

 

Bit late to resurrect the thread perhaps (4 yrs :smile: ) but still very timely. :thumbup:

 

i have given due credit elsewhere -

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...eds/#entry67956

 

Rgds / Charles.C

I prefer raw nuts daily are they so harmful if consumed daily..??I would like the combination of nuts and ice creams..

Dear all:

 

I will think that nuts are high risk due to possible presence of mycotoxins e.g. aflatoxin (no killing step can eliminate mycotoxins) besides their natures as the 'allergen'.

 

 

Yong

Nuts are high risk only if you are processing items that are not nuts. . . and your raw material has microbiological issues or poor suppliers..

Nuts are high risk only if you are processing items that are not nuts. . . and your raw material has microbiological issues or poor suppliers..

Dear Bean Queen,

 

Also see posts 6,7.

 

I believe in USA there is a specific (nuts) legislatory issue. Presumably based on a risk assessment.

 

Rgds / Charles.C

We use nuts as an ingredient in several of our ice cream flavors, and have designated them as Medium Risk in our operation.  The Ice Cream Mix is our High Risk ingredient.  We do not process the nuts in our facility.  As allergens, they are stored separately and have "ALLERGEN" signage attached while in storage.

Here in CA all raw almonds have to be sterilized in an agreement between the California Almond Board and the FDA. It came to be due to Salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004. http://www.cornucopi..._Fact_Sheet.pdfThe almond drying takes place outdoors and is subject to bird dropping contamination.

There is a reason that foreign pecans and macadamia nuts are on the COOL list as well; they have such a high incidence of food safety problems.

Here in CA all raw almonds have to be sterilized in an agreement between the California Almond Board and the FDA. It came to be due to Salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004. http://www.cornucopi..._Fact_Sheet.pdfThe almond drying takes place outdoors and is subject to bird dropping contamination.

There is a reason that foreign pecans and macadamia nuts are on the COOL list as well; they have such a high incidence of food safety problems.

 

Dear xylough,

 

Acronym "COOL"  defeated my google.

 

Clarify ?

 

Rgds / Charles.C

COOL - Counrty of Origin Labeling

September 26, 2008

1                             

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)

Frequently Asked Questions

COOL Implementation: Legislative History and Status of Rulemaking

Q.

What are the basic requirements of COOL?

A.

The 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills amended the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to require retailers to notify their customers of the country of origin of beef (including veal), lamb, pork, chicken, goat, wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish, perishable agricultural commodities, peanuts, pecans, ginseng, and macadamia nuts. The implementation of mandatory COOL for all covered commodities except wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish was delayed until September 30, 2008.

The law defines the terms “retailer” and “perishable agricultural commodity” as having the meanings given those terms in section

Dear xylough,

 

Thks for the clarification. (I took the liberty of slightly reformatting yr post).

 

TBH, the subject seems a heady mixture of Traceability, Politics and, debatably, Protectionism, eg -

 

http://fooddaycanada...ol-is-not-cool/

(interestingly dated)

 

And not only in USA  -

 

http://www.thewi.org...-labelling-cool

 

The "C" might equally well have stood for Contentious. :smile:

 

Rgds / Charles.C

Good day all,

I know this is an old thread and I have gone through all the resources prescribed. I am still at a loss because I don't see what the finished temp should be for control of Salmonella. Right now we oven roast all our nuts @325F, Hazlenuts and Almonds for 50mins, pecans for 30 mins and Cashews and Pistachios for 20 mins. With all the information I read and gathered from the resources I got from here, I think this temperature and times would kill Salmonella but my question is what should the range of the end temperature be? We currently roast our cacao beans to get a temp or 128C/262F. Is there a range I should be looking at? I am looking at a table of limiting conditions for pathogen growth and for Salmonella it has a minimum of 41F/5.2C and a maximum of 115F/46.2C. Does this work for nuts? I feel any temperature above 120F should be okay, opinions and advise welcomed.

Thanks.

There are loads of research on cacao roasting for microbial control, here's just one to start   https://chocolatetal...t-refine-safely

 

Nuts--according to the FDA are not high risk, they do not come into contact with fecal matter directly as the shell would protect the meat

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC6025523/

 

https://www.research...amination_Risks

 

http://www.fda.gov/f...Appendix-1).pdf