Specialized Processing at Retail Food Facilities

Food facilities are preparing foods using special processes such as:

1. Reduced oxygen packaging (ROP).

2. Smoking food as a method of preservation and flavor enhancement.

3. Curing as a means of preservation include salt curing, drying salting, pickling and sweet pickle curing.

4. Use of food additives to extend the shelf life or render the food to be non-potentially hazardous.

5. Operating a live molluskan shellfish life support display tank.

6. Custom processing that are for personal use and not retail sale or service.

Food facilities may engage in any of these special processes only pursuant to an approved HACCP Plan (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Plan). HACCP plans for ROP, and use of acidification or water activity to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum will be reviewed and approved by the California Department of Public Health. The other special processes HACCP plans will be reviewed and approved by Placer County Environmental Health.

Reduced Oxygen Packaging (ROP)

1. The reduction of the amount of oxygen in a package by removing oxygen; displacing oxygen and replacing it with another gas or combination of gases; or otherwise controlling the oxygen content to a level below that normally found in the surrounding, 21% oxygen atmosphere, and

2. A process that involves a food for which the hazards of Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes require control in the final packaged form.

3. The following processes are considered ROP processes:

a. Vacuum packaging – air is removed from the package of food and the package is hermetically sealed so that a vacuum remains inside the package.

b. Modified atmosphere packaging – includes the reduction in the proportion of oxygen, total replacement of oxygen, or an increase in the other proportions of other gases such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen.

c. Controlled atmosphere packaging – the atmosphere of a food package is modified so that until the package is opened, its composition is different than air, and continuous control of that atmosphere is maintained, such as by using oxygen scavengers or a combination of total replacement of oxygen, non-respiring food, and impermeable packaging material.

d. “Cook chill” packaging – cooked food is hot filled into impermeable bags which have the air expelled and are sealed or crimped closed. The bagged food is rapidly chilled and refrigerated at temperatures that inhibit the growth of psychotropic pathogens.

e. “Sous vide” packaging – raw or partially cooked food is placed in a hermetically sealed, impermeable bag, cooked in the bag, rapidly chilled and refrigerated at temperatures that inhibit the growth of psychotropic pathogens

Benefits of ROP

1. Extends shelf life of packaged food.

2. Reduces the need for skilled labor.

3. Provides more consistent quality.

4. Reduces preparation time.

5. Results in less mess, fewer dirty utensils.

6. Portion control problem eliminated.

Concerns about ROP

1. Facultative bacteria grow under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

2. Most spoilage organisms are no longer “indicators for temperature abuse.

3. Extended shelf life could allow the slow growers to reach high numbers under refrigerated conditions.

4. Secondary barriers such as low pH or water availability are not always possible with “cook chill” and “sous vide” packaging.

5. Potential for temperature abuse at retail and in the home is great.

6. Cooking and fermentation destroy most vegetative cells, but spore formers survive.

General Controls for ROP Hazards

1. Minimize bacterial load with HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) and SSOP’s (Standard Sanitary Operating Procedures).

2. Use the barrier concept with refrigeration.

3. Store “cook chill” and “sous vide” products at 34 F if no other barriers are present.

4. Can not sell “cook chill” or “sous vide” bagged product to customer.

5. ROP fish only if frozen before, during, and after ROP.

6. Place 14 or 30 day use dates on labels to limit shelf life.