Ohio Administrative Code
Title 901:3 - Food Safety
Chapter 901:3-5 - Processing Acidified Foods in Hermetically Sealed Containers
Section 901:3-5-03 - Processes and controls
Universal Citation: OH Admin Code 901:3-5-03
Current through all regulations passed and filed through March 18, 2024
(A) Processing operations.
The manufacturer shall employ appropriate quality control procedures to ensure that finished foods do not present a health hazard.
(1) Acidified foods shall be so manufactured,
processed, and packaged that a finished equilibrium pH value of 4.6 or lower is
achieved within the time designated in the scheduled process and maintained in
all finished foods. Manufacturing shall be in accordance with the scheduled
process filed with the U.S. food and drug administration. Acidified foods shall
be thermally processed to an extent that is sufficient to destroy the
vegetative cells of microorganisms of public health significance and those of
no health
significance capable of reproducing in the food under the conditions in which
the food is stored, distributed, retailed and held by the user. In lieu of
thermal processing, approved preservatives may be used to inhibit reproduction
of microorganisms of no health significance.
(2) Sufficient control, including frequent
testing and recording of results, shall be exercised so that the finished
equilibrium pH values for acidified foods are not higher than 4.6. If the
finished equilibrium pH of the food is above 4.0, the measurement of the
finished equilibrium pH shall be by a potentiometric method, and the in-process
measurements by titration or colorimetry shall be related to the finished
equilibrium pH. If the finished equilibrium pH is 4.0 or below, then the
measurement of acidity of the final product may be made by any suitable
method.
(3) Procedures for
acidification to attain acceptable equilibrium pH levels in the final food
include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Blanching of the food ingredients in
acidified aqueous solutions.
(b)
Immersion of the blanched food in acid solutions provided the acid
concentration is properly maintained.
(c) Direct batch acidification, which can be
achieved by adding a known amount of an acid solution to a specified amount of
food during acidification.
(d)
Direct addition of a predetermined amount of acid to individual containers
during production provided care is taken to ensure that the proper amount of
acid is added to each container.
(e) Addition of acid foods to low-acid foods
in controlled proportions to conform to specific formulations.
(4) Testing and examinations of
containers shall occur often enough to ensure that the container suitably
protects the food from leakage or contamination.
(B) Coding.
(1) Each container or product shall be marked
with an identifying code permanently visible to the naked eye.
(2) The required identification shall specify
in code the establishment where the product was packed, the product contained
therein, and the year, day, and period during which it was packed.
(3) The packing period code shall be changed
often enough to enable ready identification of lots during their sale and
distribution. Codes may be changed periodically on one of the following bases:
(a) Intervals of four to five
hours;
(b) Personnel shift changes;
or
(c) Batches, as long as the
containers constituting the batch do not represent those processed during more
than one personnel shift.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Ohio may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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