E.Coli Standards for NRTE Frozen Vegetable Product

Looking for some guidance in regards to E.Coli standards for a frozen vegetable product. Not seeing much within CFR. Product has various applications but is sold in its frozen, NRTE state. We are currently using customer specific standards of <10 cfu/g but searching to explore further into any other documented studies/reports. Thanks!

Looking for some guidance in regards to E.Coli standards for a frozen vegetable product. Not seeing much within CFR. Product has various applications but is sold in its frozen, NRTE state. We are currently using customer specific standards of <10 cfu/g but searching to explore further into any other documented studies/reports. Thanks!

 

i assume refers to non-pathogenic E.coli.

 

May relate to specific analytical Procedure.

 

May relate to item specifics, eg product, degree of processing.

 

Not a safety hazard from a haccp POV.

 

I predict you can find Literature numbers, variously, between zero and 100 cfu/gram.

 

ICMSF for "unprocessed" material declines to suggest limits due non-justifiability

 

JFI, IIRC, the EC officially sets RTE at 1000 max cfu/gram since regarded as a Process indicator.

This is all CFIA has posted re: frozen veg

 

Food Commodity Biological Hazard Sampling Parameter nFootnotei Sampling Parameter cFootnoteii Sampling Parameter mFootnoteiii Sampling Parameter MFootnoteiv Frozen Vegetables Aerobic colony count (ACC) 5 0 2.5x105/gram n/a Aerobic thermophilic spores n/a n/a 100/gram n/a

Found this from the FDA that may help

https://www.fda.gov/...n/UCM517610.pdf

 

Table 4-7. D10 Values (kGy) for Some Foodborne Non-sporeforming Pathogenic Bacteria Bacteria Non-frozen food Frozen food Vibrio spp. 0.02-0.14 0.04-0.44 Yersinia enterocolitica 0.04-0.21 0.20-0.39 Campylobacter jejuni 0.08-0.20 0.18-0.32 Aeromonas hydrophila 0.11-0.19 0.21-0.34 Shigella spp. 0.22-0.40 0.22-0.41 Escherichia coli O157:H7 0.24-0.43 0.30-0.98 Staphylococcus aureus 0.26-0.57 0.29-0.45 Salmonella spp. 0.18-0.92 0.37-1.28 Listeria monocytogenes 0.20-1.0 0.52-1.4

 

This is from a non-binding draft (aren't they all!) guidance for preventative controls for human foods

This is all CFIA has posted re: frozen veg

 

Food Commodity Biological Hazard Sampling Parameter nFootnotei Sampling Parameter cFootnoteii Sampling Parameter mFootnoteiii Sampling Parameter MFootnoteiv Frozen Vegetables Aerobic colony count (ACC) 5 0 2.5x105/gram n/a Aerobic thermophilic spores n/a n/a 100/gram n/a

Found this from the FDA that may help

https://www.fda.gov/...n/UCM517610.pdf

 

Table 4-7. D10 Values (kGy) for Some Foodborne Non-sporeforming Pathogenic Bacteria Bacteria Non-frozen food Frozen food Vibrio spp. 0.02-0.14 0.04-0.44 Yersinia enterocolitica 0.04-0.21 0.20-0.39 Campylobacter jejuni 0.08-0.20 0.18-0.32 Aeromonas hydrophila 0.11-0.19 0.21-0.34 Shigella spp. 0.22-0.40 0.22-0.41 Escherichia coli O157:H7 0.24-0.43 0.30-0.98 Staphylococcus aureus 0.26-0.57 0.29-0.45 Salmonella spp. 0.18-0.92 0.37-1.28 Listeria monocytogenes 0.20-1.0 0.52-1.4

 

This is from a non-binding draft (aren't they all!) guidance for preventative controls for human foods

 

Hi Scampi,

 

I think the OP was seeking generic E.coli numbers ? (ie not a hazard limit and for NRTE)

Yep I understand that...........this is ALL the FDA info I could find on e coli (not related to meat/recalls/fresh leafy veg)

 

It would give PP a launchpad at least

Thanks all. Appreciate the feedback!

 

Yes- for generic e.coli, thanks for clarifying.