Tea microbial limits
I work in a facility that doesn't quite make fruit juice, but we use a fruit juice HACCP Plan. I was told verbally when I started that we had a max limit of 20 cfu/100 ml, but as I am looking through paperwork, I found that we have an official limit of 5 cfu/ml set by someone I am no longer able to contact. Was this number made up or is there a documented set limit set by a regulatory agency that influenced this number?
What organism is the limit for?
What is the pH of your final product?
Cold fill or hot fill?
Some recommendations for micro limits in juice can be found here: https://www.fsis.usd...pdf?MOD=AJPERES but none are specified for non-pathogens.
Not a juicer over here, but with a quick review I don't see any end-item testing requirements in the juice haccp rule other than the various E. coli control requirements.
I work in a facility that doesn't quite make fruit juice, but we use a fruit juice HACCP Plan. I was told verbally when I started that we had a max limit of 20 cfu/100 ml, but as I am looking through paperwork, I found that we have an official limit of 5 cfu/ml set by someone I am no longer able to contact. Was this number made up or is there a documented set limit set by a regulatory agency that influenced this number?
Hi DSI,
What kind of Pasteurisation process ? Thermal , HPP ?
Do you actually achieve such results for the finished product ?
addendum, if a thermal process and the data are for APC, the results seem remarkably good, eg for comparison -
UK guidelines - pasteurised fruit juice.pdf 70.71KB 25 downloads
microbial analysis imported fruit juices,2008.pdf 371.88KB 21 downloads
I test using filtration then plate onto Orange Serum Agar, so it is testing for yeasts, molds, and Lactic acid bacteria. The limit is 5 cfu/100 ml for those organisms. The products are heat filled and below a pH of 3.80.
It undergoes thermal Pasteurization.
Oh, and thanks for the help. It is greatly appreciated.
Hi DSI,
I guess you will need to check the FDA Regulations for "not quite fruit juices".
Good Luck !
Hi DSI,
I guess you will need to check the FDA Regulations for "not quite fruit juices".
Good Luck !
Lol. Yea, I should have just come right out and said we make tea.
Hi DS1,
Depends on your shelf life goals I suppose. If these organisms proliferate and eventually cause spoilage, they're going to be at higher levels as time goes on regardless, so it would depend on your own experience with the product as to what level would suggest early spoilage.
With reference to your original query, no I do not think there are any legal microbial limits that led to the specs you mentioned. Most likely an old dataset or customer requirement. Decide what your actual go/no go value would be and reset the limit there. I would recommend a "yellow" range that prompts investigation even if you intend to release the product.