Critical Limits for Dry Oats
Hello,
In performing the Process Preventive Controls, I am stumped on the Critical Limit step. What is the critical limit for potential biological pathogens on a dry oat processing line? There are existing pathogens known in the product, but it is expected that the consumer will cook the oats prior to consuming. Should there be a control other than CoA from the supplier? What is an acceptable Critical Limit?
Thanks,
Suzie
but it is expected that the consumer will cook the oats prior to consuming
Unless you sell these oats with a big giant warning label like you would on dry chicken, I would not sell oats with known pathogens. If flour can't have them, why would Oats? I would consider them RTE just like flour.
They should be pathogen free (I would target E. coli and Salmonella for a product like that) or otherwise go through a microbial lethality treatment.
Examples of raw oat usage at the consumer level