Microbiological Limit for Ready-To-Eat food in US

Hi guys, I am looking for the microbiological limit for ready-to-eat food in US, mainly for dried fruit, juice.

I have searched the lots of website including FDA but could not find any of this standard in US.  For other countries, like in EU, Australia, Hong Kong, they have a specific document on this topic.  Does anyone have this information for US?  

Many thanks if someone could share this information.  

Hi guys, I am looking for the microbiological limit for ready-to-eat food in US, mainly for dried fruit, juice.

 

I have searched the lots of website including FDA but could not find any of this standard in US.  For other countries, like in EU, Australia, Hong Kong, they have a specific document on this topic.  Does anyone have this information for US?  

 

Many thanks if someone could share this information.  

Dear Luke,

Do you mean Import Standards ? If so, Official data/specs do probably exist (somewhere).

I assume you refer to Internal standards.

USA not my location but as a general comment, i believe USA divides (all?) its national regulatory food functions by product into FDA/USDA organisations. Plus individual State responsibilities/viewpoints.

Your query may also overlap the USA subtlety of "Adulteration" regulations in addition to direct limits.

Yr request is slightly "general" which may limit the responses.

From Google -

Dried fruit

The USDA standard covers a variety of fruits.

Some specs contain  "must meet U.S. FDA tolerances for “Defect Action Levels". From long memory, this is mainly OLQ  items but may contain some micro.(eg generic E.coli, pathogens)

Juice

Need to be more specific. eg fruit type ? Thermally Processed?, if so how, pasteurised, etc ?

Maybe some US posters here will have a direct answer to yr query. Here's hoping. :smile:

Rgds / Charles.C

Thank you for your response, Charles.

To be more specific, I have attached the information from EU.  

So I am actually looking for the microbial limit listed in the document.  It mentioned the microbial limit in each food category.

Any clue where I can find some information like this for US?

Hi, Luke;

There are no "acceptable" RTE limits established by the US. As Charles has mentioned there are defect limits that you could go by and adjust those numbers down based on a solid risk assessment for your process (i.e. "scientific validation"). Is there any processing steps which could hold pathogenic microorganisms sufficiently in lag phase below infection dose during common handling?

The ICMSF publication may help as well (table 28 for fruit and proceeding chapter for juice). 

ICMSF 2nd Edition OSU.pdf   812.8KB   294 downloads

Hi all,

I have a similar question too.

I want to know if there is an official microbial limit for importing fresh fruit to US too? for example, goji berry.