Information Concerning Cook Chill ROP and RTE MAP

I'm looking for any information concerning Cook Chill ROP in retail. Food code states I need 2 hurdles. We will only have temp and time as possible hurdles. Normally, I would considered this as one hurdle but can temp and time be considered two separate steps/hurdles? Water activity, pH, and acidy does not work for everything we do so we are limited on hurdle steps.

Does anyone have experience with apply for a variance based on the food codes suggested protocol? We want to sell outside our company which is a big no-no. Any one else have problems with this?

Lastly, we will have fruits and veggies hermetically sealed and the food code considers this passive MAP. What about a sandwich with lettuce and a piece of fruit? Would the respiration from even just a few plant products qualify as a MAP?

Thank you,
Jennifer

Dear jennyb,

Cook-chill not my area but i was searching here for something else and i came across this seemingly quite comprehensive document (Campden 2006) which may be of some interest. It is primarily UK/EC oriented but contains segments on US business (eg I noticed a possibly interesting IFT ref. on pg179 ).

Vacuum packed and MAP chilled foods - Clostridium botulinum.pdf   1.22MB   30 downloads

If nothing else, it gives yr thread a "bump".

Rgds / Charles.C