Pasteurization of Alcohol-Juice Mixes
Hello,
We are currently developing an alcoholic beverage mix of rum and passion fruit.
The passion fruit juice is not pasteurized, but it has a high brix (40), low pH (2.8), and Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate as preservatives.
We wanted to know what is the minimum alcohol percentage needed so we dont need to pasteurize the juice (if possible). And if there is any regulation about this kind of beverages in the US.
Thank you very much.
Alcoholic beverages are generally regulated by TTB, though some can fall under FDA. Yours sounds like a good candidate for FDA jurisdiction given that it isn't itself fermented and is likely low alcohol at the back end.
If you're under FDA, you will need to file a process with your food facility registration for producing an acidified food. This is a complex process which includes both the science you're asking for as well as a legal filing. I would get in contact with a process authority such as covance for assistance in producing this product safely and legally.
This consultant group seems to know a lot about the subject, but I can't vouch for them.
Ok thank you very much.
The thing is we are starting this entrepreneurship with low budget, so we cant afford a consultant at the moment.
You picked a product that unfortunately requires a lot of regulatory hurdles, and because you're an importer, you will be required to comply with the new FSVP rules which are extensive and complex.
If you want to learn the regulations and try to file yourself, FDA has guidance here: https://www.fda.gov/...ion/default.htm.
For a short time, pasteurized juices were heated up to high temperatures to kill any bacteria or other micro-organisms. In general, fortified or dessert wines have 17 to 24% volume alcohol content; however, fruits from which such wines are produced generally produce a maximum of 10 to 12% alcohol upon fermentation. Thus, for the production of such wines, it was necessary to satisfy the required alcohol content of 17% and above by adding distilled spirits, other sources of alcohol and sugar. However, full-bodied fruit flavor and sweetness are highly desirable in dessert wines and the fortification step as now practiced introduces a quantity of alcohol that is highly disproportionate to the amount of wine flavor and body components present and thus produces: a product having an artificial or unnatural balance.
I have lots of experience with alcoholic beverages in the U.S. As FurFarmandFork mentioned, you will need to work with the TTB to get the product approved for sale in the U.S. You will need to develop a statement of process detailing all the ingredients, their source and the source of the alcohol. Link to the TTB website is here. https://www.ttb.gov/.../faqs/alcohol.
You will also have to get label approval by submitting a label COLA.
As far as pasteurization requirements, it will depend on the type of bacteria you are trying to eliminate. You will need to know the lethal rate and the z-factor to determine if the preservatives alone will be able to stabilize the product.