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When to state cooked or precooked on label?

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gzazzy

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Posted 08 August 2014 - 08:15 AM

Good Morning

I'm new here :hypocrite:

When can you say that a product > food transformation > thermal process > cooked

for example stating from raw tubes squid > when can I consider it cooked / pre cooked to declare it on the label

 



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Posted 08 August 2014 - 08:25 AM

When the product has gone through a thermal cooking process stage equal or above pasteurisation, and therefore does not require any further cooking before consumption for food safety.

 

Thanks

 

Simon



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gzazzy

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Posted 08 August 2014 - 08:49 AM

......does that mean that  processing raw seafood at 85°c for two min. will be enough ?

 

Thank

Gino



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Posted 08 August 2014 - 08:53 AM

Good Morning

I'm new here :hypocrite:

When can you say that a product > food transformation > thermal process > cooked

for example stating from raw tubes squid > when can I consider it cooked / pre cooked to declare it on the label

 

Dear gzazzy,

 

I assume this is a retail product. i assume yr primary interest is labelling.

 

Most countries have local legislatory requirements defining such "cooked" terminologies for labelling purposes. The legal requirements are typically generated from microbiological considerations (eg pasteurization / FS as previous post) although "cooking" per se may have visual/textural, etc connotations as you are no doubt aware.

 

I forget whether the EU has its own specific definition(s) within the general EU microbiological specifications directive for retail products. If so, Italy probably has a (possibly interpreted) equivalent based on this data.

 

Regardless, I have little doubt that Italian Legislatory regulations will directly answer to your query.

 

"Pre-cooked" is IMEX a more subjective terminology. But as per previous post, it ultimately implies that the product is not yet considered RTE (ready-to-eat), especially  from a FS POV. Again probably defined within Italian regulatory laws.

 

Rgds / Charles.C


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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gzazzy

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Posted 08 August 2014 - 09:07 AM

It is a retail product and we already declare that our product is not a RTE...

Most of the raw material that we use is pre - cooked from our suppliers . We process only one raw material but I'm finding difficulty on giving evidence of the process and want to be shore that I can declare that is pre-cooked processing at 85"C for 2 min.

thanks

Gino



Charles.C

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Posted 08 August 2014 - 10:06 AM

It is a retail product and we already declare that our product is not a RTE...

Most of the raw material that we use is pre - cooked from our suppliers . We process only one raw material but I'm finding difficulty on giving evidence of the process and want to be shore that I can declare that is pre-cooked processing at 85"C for 2 min.

thanks

Gino

 

Dear gzazzy,

 

As mentioned, no idea about Italian standards but I can say that I have never, as far as I can recall,  seen a precise legal definition of "pre-cooked" in respect to the actual process conditions. But Italy may have one as IMEX this country likes to specify everything related to food. :smile:

 

I  have experience of processing frozen, coated, fried seafood which is initially simply heated such that the coating is set firm. However the internal seafood remains mainly "raw". This product is sold with full cooking instructions on the label, ie it is implicitly classified as a raw product.  Commercially such items are sometimes described as "pre-cooked" which is somewhat of a confusing description IMO.

 

In Europe IMEX, the typical minimum process requirements for seafood to be described as "cooked" are where the core temperature (or possibly the slowest heating point) reaches a minimum of 70degC for a minimum of 2 minutes, or other temperature/time combinations which achieve  equivalent microbiological lethality. The values just mentioned are  based on an assumed target pathogenic species of L.monocytogenes.

 

However I know that some EU countries use different definitions, eg different target pathogens (and therefore different temperatures/times). The choice may also relate to the presentation of the product, eg whether vacuum packed, MAP, etc.  But for Italy I have no idea, sorry. However i'm sure yr local regulations will specify.

 

Rgds / Charles.C


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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