Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Susan Duncan, Dairy and Sensory Evaluation

Bill Eigel,                Food Biochemistry

Joe Marcy:               Food Processing

Merle Pierson: Food Microbiology

 Sean O’Keefe: Food Chemistry

Susan Sumner:   Food Safety

Walter Hartman:    Dairy Plant Manager whartman@vt.edu

Kim Waterman:  Dairy Chemistry    Kwater@vt.edu

Brian Yaun: Microbiology byaun@vt.edu           Phone: (540) 231-8697

updates at Virginia tech

FFA Dairy Foods Contest

   Personnel from the Department of Food Science and Technology and the Department of Dairy Science planned and conducted the 2003 State FFA Dairy Foods Career Development Event.  The contest was held on September 5^th, during the Virginia Tech Farm and Family Showcase at Kentland Farm.

   Participants were asked to identify various off-flavors in milk, types of cheese and dairy farm equipment.  They also took a written test and were asked to determine whether samples were real or artificial dairy products.  The event was designed to test participants’ knowledge of quality production, processing, distribution, promotion, marketing and consumption of dairy products. 

    Seven middle and high school FFA Chapters competed, bringing the total number of participants to 28 individuals.  The Sherando FFA Chapter won the contest for the second year in a row.  The Buffalo Gap Chapter placed second and the Turner Ashby Chapter came in third.  Jill Craun, a member of the Turner Ashby FFA Chapter, was high individual.  The W.R. Legge FFA Chapter was the high junior team.  By winning the contest, the Sherando team will advance to represent the Virginia FFA Association in the National FFA Dairy Foods Career Development held this month in Louisville, KY.

 HOT TOPICS AND DAIRY ISSUES

New Dairy Regulations

     The Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services adopted two revised dairy regulations on May 15, 2003.  2 VAC 5-531, Regulations Governing Milk for Manufacturing Purposes adopts the United States Department of Agriculture's recommended requirements for milk for manufacturing purposes and regulates the production of manufactured grade milk, butter, cheese, condensed and powdered milk.  2 VAC 5-501, Regulations Governing the Cooling, Storing, Sampling and Transporting of Milk adopts portions of the 2001 Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) concerning the permitting of milk pickup and transport tanks, dairy plant samplers, and the requirements for milk haulers to weight, sample and haul bulk milk from grade A dairy farms. 

     Each of these regulations is applicable to the milk of cows, goats, sheep, water buffalo and other mammals (except humans).  Since the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services adopted these two regulations, opposition to these regulations (which includes goat cheese makers and other individuals) have voiced concerns to their legislators and the Governor's Office.  In addition, the Department of Planning and Budget has recommended to the Governor that neither of the regulations should become effective. 

     The Joint Commission on Administrative Rules (a standing committee of the General Assembly) has taken the dairy regulations up and promised to make a decision on their recommendation before the end of November 2003.  Both regulations are important for food safety reasons and the cooling regulations are important to the Grade A dairy industry in order to be consistent with the PMO. We encourage those supporting the regulations to express that support in letters to their legislators and the Governor.

Contact information for Governor Warner may be obtained at:  http://www.governor.virginia.gov/

Contact information for members of the General Assembly may be obtained at: http://leg1.state.va.us/031/mbr/MBR.HTM

 Juice HACCP Regulation:  Questions and Answers

    In August, 2001, the FDA published “The Juice HACCP Regulation Questions and Answers”, to be used as an industry guide in understanding the 2001 FDA rule that requires processors of juice to develop and implement HACCP systems for their operations.  The following are some of the frequently asked questions and FDA’s responses.

    Is fruit nectar covered by the regulation?  The term “nectar” is generally accepted as the common name in the U.S. and in international trade for a diluted juice beverage that contains fruit juice or puree, water, and maybe sweeteners.  Therefore, to the extent that nectar is a beverage containing juice, it is not subject to the rule.  However, the rule does apply to juice or puree ingredients in the nectar. 

Is coconut milk and/or water covered by the rule?  Yes.  Any liquid extracted from coconuts is considered a juice. 

If one juice processor makes a concentrate before the effective implementation date and stores it, and a second processor processes the concentrate into juice after the applicable effective date, which processor is required to comply with the rule?  The second juice processor. 

Are office toilets included in the mandatory Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) for maintenance?  It depends.  If office toilet facilities are accessible to processing personnel, or if processing area toilet facilities are accessible to office personnel, the processor must determine how to control potential hazards.  This may require inclusion of office toilet facilities and processing area toilet facilities in SSOP. 

Should a processor incorporate the receipt of raw ingredients into a juice HACCP plan?  If a processor decides that raw ingredient receipt is a Critical Control Point (CCP), he must establish in its HACCP plan critical limits, monitoring procedures, record keeping procedures, and verification activities related to the CCP. 

How extensive does the hazard analysis have to be?  All hazards that are reasonably likely to occur must be identified in the course of hazard analysis, whether those hazards are introduced within or outside the processing environment, and including hazards that can occur before, during or after harvest.  

Can similar products such as pulp free orange juice and orange juice with extra pulp share the same hazard analysis and HACCP plan?  Yes.  When food hazards, CCPs, critical limits, etc. are essentially identical, products may share the same analysis and HACCP plan, provided that any required features of the plan that are unique to a specific product or method are clearly delineated in the plan and followed in practice. 

How should added ingredients in a product considered to be 100% juice be taken into account in the product’s HACCP plan?  Added ingredients (e.g. 100% orange juice with added calcium) are considered “juice”, and subject to the regulation.  Processors should evaluate the added ingredients, and if hazards are reasonably likely to occur due to those ingredients, controls must be included in the product’s HACCP plan.  For example, soy protein, preservatives (sulfites) or other ingredients that have the potential to cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive individuals must be declared on the label and be part of the HACCP plan.

More information on conducting a hazard analysis can be found in the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) publication, “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles and Application Guidelines”, Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 61, No. 9, pp. 1246-1259 (1998), and FDA’s Juice HACCP Hazards and Controls Guide.