5 replies to this topic

[DrDavMas]

Good afternoon,

my company produce Frozen pizzas and we prepare our own sauce.

 

The sauce is just a blend of canned tomatoes, basil, salt. 

 

We buy the basil from a distributor certified SQF for storage and distribution who just told us that the basil is not pre-washed. 

 

Considering that the tomato sauce has a pH < 4.5 and our product is a ready to cook frozen pizza, do you think we should wash the basil?

 

We mix 1.5 bunches of basil with 600 oz of tomato sauce.

 

On our HACCP assessment we say that pH of the sauce and freezing won't let pathogens grow plus the product is going to be cooked.

 

Physicals and chemical risks: visual check prior use to mitigate physical risks and we buy from a certified supplier in order to get a product that respect chemical residue requirements pre-harvest.

 

What do you think?

[SQFconsultant]

Wash the Basil.

 

We sure do and just harvested yesterday, washing in spring water, dried and sent out.

 

Most folks don't like kernels of soil and other debri with their food.

[Brothbro]

I would agree that the basil should be washed. You've got more than just bacteria to worry about in the basil, it also has dust, debris, possible FM, etc. A visual check won't be good enough to see all the issues present in the material, and the fine layer of dust exists that will be hard to see anyway.

 

It sounds like you're working with small batches of basil, should be easy to implement a fast manual washing step in a vegetable washing solution.

[Charles.C]

Good afternoon,

my company produce Frozen pizzas and we prepare our own sauce.

 

The sauce is just a blend of canned tomatoes, basil, salt. 

 

We buy the basil from a distributor certified SQF for storage and distribution who just told us that the basil is not pre-washed. 

 

Considering that the tomato sauce has a pH < 4.5 and our product is a ready to cook frozen pizza, do you think we should wash the basil?

 

We mix 1.5 bunches of basil with 600 oz of tomato sauce.

 

On our HACCP assessment we say that pH of the sauce and freezing won't let pathogens grow plus the product is going to be cooked.

 

Physicals and chemical risks: visual check prior use to mitigate physical risks and we buy from a certified supplier in order to get a product that respect chemical residue requirements pre-harvest.

 

What do you think?

Hi DrDM,

 

Is the sauce added after fully cooking the pizza ?

 

If no, the basil's micro. characteristics and sauce pH are presumably mostly HACCP irrelevant although the incoming basil presumably has a basic microbial specification.

If yes, the basil's haccp micro significance may change.

[Scampi]

Is the basil hydroponically grown or from soil?

 

Assuming the pizza is frozen RAW, a quick rinse should be sufficient for your process

[DrDavMas]

The sauce and the toppings are added on a par-baked crust and then blast freeze.

 

Customers must cook the pizza at home at 425 F (204 C) for 10-18 minutes depending on the type of pizza.

 

I think I will add a quick rinse with just water.