1. For the folks who are serious about this stock and the ozone process, here is some information that you might find usefull.
2. I recognize this is a lengthy post which many of you ozoners will consider as "old information". Perhaps it will prove usefull to those who are new to our family. The topics are listed below with additional details that follow.
a. July 1996-Mega Reg becomes law.
b. January 1997-President Clinton announces his Food Safety Initiative.
c. May 1997-The first ozone chill water system is approved by USDA.
d. June 1997-Self-affirmation of ozone as GRAS.
3. The detailed description of what each of the above items mean.
a. July 1996-Mega Reg becomes law.
Pathogen Control: Hazard Analysis Critical control Points (HACCP) is the first significant change to meat and poultry inspection laws since they were inacted in 1906. The regulation recognizes that carcass by carcass inspection during processing for physical hazards is inadequate for food safety since the "invisible hazards" of chemical and microbiological contamination are not addressed. The regulation requires food processors to test for generic E.coli and USDA-Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) to test for Salmonella on meat and poultry products. The regulation further requires processors to establish and follow HACCP systems for additional control of their processes.
b. January 1997-President Clinton announces his Food Safety Initiative.
Food Safety Initiative is the begining of "farm to fork" regulations that will extend beyond the food processor by going back to the farm/ranch and extends through distribution and warehousing through retailers and food service suppliers in as comprehensive manner as possible. Federal agencies charged with responsibility for coordinating and writing this regulation are USDA, Health and Human Services (Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are agencies of HHS), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Several major meetings have been held, and a proposed rule is expected in 1998.
c. USDA approves use of the first ozone chill water system. The system is designed for use in recycling and ozonating water used in the chiller bath for processing poultry. USDA has jurisdiction over all meat and poultry processors-FDA has responsibility for all other foods, plus anything that comes into contact with food.
Poultry carcasses are required to be cooled to a temperature less than 40 Degrees F in order to reduct the ability of pathogens to reproduce, and the chiller bath is used for this purpose. Tyically, a chiller tank contains about 20,000 gallons of water and about 150 carcasses are processed through the water every 45 minutes. After a few hours, the water resembles a "fecal soup" and is a source of cross-contamination. To avoid this, processors dump large amounts of chlorine into the water and dump the water periodically during the day. Some of the problems with this are:
(1) Chlorine's ability to disinfect becomes limited as the organic load (carcass debris) builds up before the water is dumped.
(2) The use of chlorine in food processing is increasingly frowned upon by the world community and is even banned in a number of countries (CANADA INCLUDED). Europe's increase in consumtion of Turkey and ban of U.S. exports (due to use of chlorine which produces chloroform as a biproduce in small amounts) is cause for concern in the poultry industry.
(3) Water is expensive and/or scarce in some parts of the U.S.
The ozone chill water system disinfects chiller bath water at a rate of 800 gallons per minute and filters the organics down to 25 microns (about half the diameter of a human hair). Ozone is applied for disinfection purposes, then another oxidant may be applied as the life of ozone is ended after it has contacted and killed the bad bugs. Test results have shown that generic E.coli and coliforms are reduced to an untraceable level and that salmonella is reduced in the chiller water and that shelf-life is increased. Follow on products can be added to improve the reduction of pathogens on the carcasses.
(4) GRAS Status.
The use of ozone in food processing is very recent for the United States. In June 1997 the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) filed with the FDA a sel-affirmation that ozone has Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status. This act permits the FDA to either disagree or be mute on the subject. By remaining mute, they implicitly allow the use of ozine in food processing, however the responsibility for using best manufacturing practices lies with th food processor.
Similar applications are being developed for fruits and vegetables, which have the same cooling and cleaning requirements as poultry. Beef is currently cooled by air. Seafood has a history of using ozone for the purpose of reducing/eliminating odor and extending shelf life. |
