3 replies to this topic

[Nolafoodie23]

Hello All,

New to HACCP and need a little help getting started. I will be making sauerkraut with a one week ferment and would love some input on creating a HACCP plan. I need help putting all my findings on paper the correct way.

-I will be using a food grade bucket with an airlock attachment (plate to keep product submerged under brine)
-Filtered water
-Making sure cabbage is kept submerged (anaerobic environment)
-No chemical or psyical ( I can be wrong)
-Biological- listeria monocytocenes

For my CCP would they include:

Temperature- monitor temp levels
Mold growth (is it okay for me to scrape it off and continue with the ferment?)
Salt ph levels (I will be using a 2%brine)
PH test strips (making sure it is below 4.6)
Washed and cleaned mason jars
Pack product in to jars with brine to cover
Refrigerate.

Any feedback will be appreciated! This is overwhelming and if I can get a little input and help I can go on to the next recipe.

Bests

[Charles.C]

Hi Nolafoodie,

 

Fermented vegetables is a wide topic and possesses an equally wide literature.

 

Your precise requirements (=Scope) and particularly the DETAIL may depend on why/for whom you are doing this project. I have assumed yr OP is US State regulatory oriented. if not some of the following may be superfluous/irrelevant to yr requirements.

 

There in no unique procedure for haccp, ie different options may be equally generically acceptable but also depending on the previous lines of text.

 

The usual, initial, basic haccp requirements are to sort out the requirements for Prerequisite Programs PRPs (~SSOPs~SOPs) / CCPs. This will include various of the items mentioned in yr OP. Particularly see the 1st attachment below (US perspective) and possibly the last one, ie sau5, the latter is European oriented although there are many overlaps.

 

As a side note - the related product "Fermented Pickles" has been previously explored here in some detail from safety/haccp POV, eg –

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...les-haccp-plan/

http://www.ifsqn.com...cp-for-pickles/

(2^nd more focussed on fruit pickles)

 

Sauerkraut haccp plan has been previously requested here 2-3 times but not much info./ templates afai can see.

 

In the context of local US State requirements for HACCP plans some basic safety/haccp aspects for a variety of foods are detailed in this "HACCP Toolkit" –

 HACCP fermented vegetables inc.sauerkraut.pdf   2.59MB   662 downloads

(eg see pgs 32 et seq)

 

Some semi-generic US regulatory comments are here –

 public health inc.acidified foods - processing-faqs.pdf   85.09KB   224 downloads

 

Some details for process/haccp sauerkraut are discussed here –

 

 sau1 - sauerkraut.pdf   456.15KB   392 downloads

 sau2 - sauerkraut,Penn state.pdf   188.9KB   237 downloads

 sau3 - making sauerkraut, dill pickles.pdf   763.78KB   234 downloads

 sau4 - safety assessment fermented foods.pdf   569.02KB   378 downloads

 

http://food.unl.edu/...fermented-foods

http://www.extension...and-sauerkraut/

 

I also noticed this rather eclectic collection of (Europe-oriented) haccp studies which starts with an initial, detailed haccp study of fermented green olives. The haccp content/plan is sort of from the ground up and is straightforward, condensed, but nonetheless very readable IMO and quite effective (one criticism might be that the presentation does not exactly follow a formal Codex procedure but this may not be required in yr case (?)) . The conclusions may be analogous to a sauerkraut scenario.

 sau5 - Food chains-Haccp-CCPs some traditional European foods,2008.pdf   551.12KB   223 downloads

 

Some more diverse but maybe regulatory-related links are here –

 

 

https://www.chefstep...ing-haccp-stuff

http://www.chowhound...i-824107?page=2

http://www.health.st.../canningfs.html

http://www.wildferme...hp?f=15&t=19397

http://www.westonapr...san-processing/

[Nolafoodie23]

Thank you Charles!

Appreciate all of the information. I am understanding it more and more but just need to get to writing!

Seems like there is no wrong format--just need to make sure we have all the steps and variances in place.

Many thanks,

NF

[Katiebelakhoua]

Hello Nolafoodie23
I am sure you have gone through this process of writing your HACCP already but the fermentation time needs to be greater than 1 week. If you do a search on "sauerkraut fermentation time" on Google scholar you can find many research articles on the appropriate amount of time which is 28 days. I also recommend a slightly higher salt content to prevent the mold from growing in the first place. 2.3% is a minimum by some process authorities. Since costumers would potentially leave the jar out at room temperature for a time while consuming the product (and maybe a short while after) the higher salt content would prevent mold as a foreseeable use of the product.
I am in process of writing my HACCP plan for sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables and so far the main CCP are pH temp and time. If others have feedback I would appreciate it as well.
Cheers Katie the Kraut Lady