Juice ingredient Specifications Limits

At our company we process a Juice Filtered Ingredient, we currently have a specification. This is a spec that pre-dates my time here but I cannot find the answer to the question: "Where did that specification come from?"   Our Juice is sold as a Juice ingredient and require further processing by the customer to meet 5 Log requirements. 

I have examined all relevant Code of Federal Regulations (U.S.) none of them state any limits and none of the literature states any limits.

My questions are:

1. Is there a regulatory limit on Plate counts and etc, anywhere?

2. If so, what is the justification for said levels?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

In Canada, only standardized products have regulatory limits for micro (TC, E. Coli, etc.). Not sure about US.

In Canada, only standardized products have regulatory limits for micro (TC, E. Coli, etc.). Not sure about US.

Not in USA but based on previous threads here, generally, US appears quite similar to Canada. Or vice-versa.

2 possible exceptions -

Regulatory micro. requirements may not only apply to standardized products, eg the next line.

I anticipate that detection of, say, Salmonella, E.coli O157 (et al), other zero-tolerant pathogens in any RTE products would probably be justification for rejection.

Re Juice, I deduce this has no heat treatment as described per US Juice Regulations. The latter IIRC have a defined product scope and do specify "Log" numbers.

I also thought that any scope - excluded Juice Products were only commercialisable in US if their labelling included a statement that consumption was at the buyer's own risk or words to that effect. (A consequence IIRC due particularly to the occasional occurrence of pathogenic E.coli in Apple juice).

(Maybe the control also relates to the nature of the selling activity, eg road-side enterprises)