Food safety and regulatory requirements for cream cheese manufacturing?

Question

Food safety and regulatory requirements for cream cheese manufacturing?

Started by egonwie79, Jul 14 2020 07:07 PM

egonwie79

IFSQN Member

15 Replies

14 July 2020 - 07:07 PM

My company is producing frozen deserts and savory products. We want to start producing our own cream cheese as ingredient for a savory sku and I am confused of what food safety and regulatory requirements surrounds this added process. All other raw materials or ingredients are bought from our approved suppliers and only the cream cheese that we will like to process by ourselves.

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olenazh IFSQN Fellow · Answer 1 · 2020-07-14T19:35:13+00:00

As it's a dairy product, you need to comply with Dairy Product Regulation and Food & Drug Act and Regulations Canada on top of other current programs you have. CFIA used to have DEIM (Dairy Establishment Inspection Manual), but now it's just a reference document, since SFCR was issued. As cream cheese is standardized product, you'll need to comply with the standard as well (refer to the above mentioned Regulatory documents) in terms of Fat, Moisture, etc. If you're testing your finished products for micro, don't test cream cheese for TPC as it's useless due to bacterial cultures load. Main bacteria you should concentrate on are Total Coliform, E. Coli and Y&M, and you may test for Listeria m. as well. You'll need to enhance your sanitation and corresponding environment monitoring programs (e.g. equipment, water, air, etc.) as cream cheese is sensitive to micro (but, of course, if it's going through the kill step when added to your finished product, that would reduce the risk of contamination). I don't know your process of making cream cheese - otherwise, I would go further:)

Ryan M. IFSQN Fellow · Answer 2 · 2020-07-14T19:46:35+00:00

As olenazh has eluded to there is A LOT involved on the regulatory side for cream cheese production. I'm more familiar with US regulations around dairy, but Canada is considered equivalent so you will have a rough road ahead to produce cream cheese on your own, even if you do not sell it as "cream cheese". You still need to follow the same regulatory framework and compliance.

If I were you I would reach out to your local regulatory authority and get some more info. You may find it is not worthwhile to produce in-house, versus purchasing. Generally, cream cheese is a low margin product so you may find it is much more costly to produce for yourself than purchase, on top of all the regulatory compliance PITA required.

egonwie79 IFSQN Member · Answer 3 · 2020-07-14T20:07:30+00:00

As olenazh has eluded to there is A LOT involved on the regulatory side for cream cheese production. I'm more familiar with US regulations around dairy, but Canada is considered equivalent so you will have a rough road ahead to produce cream cheese on your own, even if you do not sell it as "cream cheese". You still need to follow the same regulatory framework and compliance.

If I were you I would reach out to your local regulatory authority and get some more info. You may find it is not worthwhile to produce in-house, versus purchasing. Generally, cream cheese is a low margin product so you may find it is much more costly to produce for yourself than purchase, on top of all the regulatory compliance PITA required.

Wow thank you so much.

egonwie79 IFSQN Member · Answer 4 · 2020-07-14T20:07:57+00:00

As it's a dairy product, you need to comply with Dairy Product Regulation and Food & Drug Act and Regulations Canada on top of other current programs you have. CFIA used to have DEIM (Dairy Establishment Inspection Manual), but now it's just a reference document, since SFCR was issued. As cream cheese is standardized product, you'll need to comply with the standard as well (refer to the above mentioned Regulatory documents) in terms of Fat, Moisture, etc. If you're testing your finished products for micro, don't test cream cheese for TPC as it's useless due to bacterial cultures load. Main bacteria you should concentrate on are Total Coliform, E. Coli and Y&M, and you may test for Listeria m. as well. You'll need to enhance your sanitation and corresponding environment monitoring programs (e.g. equipment, water, air, etc.) as cream cheese is sensitive to micro (but, of course, if it's going through the kill step when added to your finished product, that would reduce the risk of contamination). I don't know your process of making cream cheese - otherwise, I would go further:)

This is helpful. Thank you so much.

egonwie79 IFSQN Member · Answer 5 · 2020-07-15T11:32:37+00:00

This is helpful. Thank you so much.

What if we wanted to make but vegan cream cheese with no dairy by product? Do you think it will be better?

olenazh IFSQN Fellow · Answer 6 · 2020-07-15T12:09:48+00:00

Hah! That's interesting: we've recently started making vegan cream cheese coconut-based. This product doesn't require fermentation and is not standardized, so you'll avoid dairy cream cheese-related problems in this case. However, you should think of your process (e.g. formula, volumes, etc.) and related equipment (e.g. pasteurization & homogenization)

egonwie79 IFSQN Member · Answer 7 · 2020-07-15T12:27:29+00:00

Hah! That's interesting: we've recently started making vegan cream cheese coconut-based. This product doesn't require fermentation and is not standardized, so you'll avoid dairy cream cheese-related problems in this case. However, you should think of your process (e.g. formula, volumes, etc.) and related equipment (e.g. pasteurization & homogenization)

Where are you guys located. Are you guys certified under any of the GFSI standard? If yes he we need to talk as it will be better we just buy from your company as we are going this route just because of lack in supply.

olenazh IFSQN Fellow · Answer 8 · 2020-07-15T12:30:14+00:00

Toronto. If you need our phone number, I'll have to speak to the company owners to get confirmation.

egonwie79 IFSQN Member · Answer 9 · 2020-07-15T12:31:51+00:00

Toronto. If you need our phone number, I'll have to speak to the company owners to get confirmation.

That works! we are in Toronto too.

egonwie79 IFSQN Member · Answer 10 · 2020-07-15T12:33:56+00:00

That works! we are in Toronto too.

Lastly, once you talk with him, I will share our spec for the previous supplier so you can review and see whether its same formulation as we will want same formulation in order that we don't change our present packaging.