Standard 1.6.2

Processing Requirements

 

 

(Australia Only)

 

Purpose

This Standard sets out the requirements for processing of foods regulated in Chapter 2 of this Code.  This Standard does not apply to food produced in, or imported into, New Zealand.

Table of Provisions

 

1 Processing of milk and liquid milk products

2 Processing of cheese and cheese products

3 Processing of egg products

4 Eviscerated poultry

5 Dried meat

6 Crocodile meat

7 Game meat

8 Fermented comminuted processed meat

9 Production of fermented comminuted meat which has not been cooked

10 Semi-dry heat-treated processed meat

 

Schedule - Methods of analysis

 

Clauses

1 Processing of milk and liquid milk products

 

(1) Milk  must be pasteurised by -

 

(a) heating to a temperature of no less than 72C and retaining at such temperature for no less than 15 seconds and immediately shock cooling to a temperature of 4.5C;  or

(b) heating using any other time and temperature combination of equal or greater lethal effect on bacteria;

unless an applicable law of a State or Territory otherwise expressly provides.

 

(2) Liquid milk products must be heated using a combination of time and temperature of equal or greater lethal effect on the bacteria in liquid milk that would be achieved by pasteurisation or otherwise produced and processed in accordance with any applicable law of a State or Territory.


Editorial note:

 

For the purposes of clause 1 of this Standard, milk and liquid milk products includes milk and liquid milk products used in the production of any cream and cream products, fermented milks, yoghurt, dried, condensed and evaporated milks, butter and ice cream.

 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for milk and milk products are regulated under the Dairy Industry Act 1952 and the Food Act 1981.

 

2 Processing of cheese and cheese products

 

Milk and milk products used to manufacture cheese or cheese products must -

(a) be heat treated by being held at a temperature of no less than 72C for a period of no less than 15 seconds, or by using a time and temperature combination providing an equivalent level of bacteria reduction;  or

(b)                 be heat treated by being held at a temperature of no less than 62C, for a               period of no less than 15 seconds, and the final product stored at a               temperature of no less than 2C for a period of 90 days from the date of               manufacture of the cheese or cheese product.

 

Editorial note:

 

Processing requirements for milk and milk products used in the production of raw Swiss cheeses are contained in Standard 2.5.4.

 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for cheese and cheese products, other than raw Swiss cheese, are regulated under the Dairy Industry Act 1952 and the Food Act 1981.

 

3 Processing of egg products

(1) In this clause -

liquid egg white means the white of egg separated as efficiently as practicable from the yolk in liquid form.

liquid egg yolk means the yolk of egg separated as efficiently as practicable from the white in liquid form.

liquid whole egg means the whole egg removed from the shell and includes the product which is frozen or chilled, but does not include reconstituted dried egg.

(2) Liquid whole egg or a mixture of liquid egg yolk and liquid egg white must not be sold or used in the manufacture of food unless it has been pasteurised by being retained at a temperature not lower than 64C for at least 2.5 minutes and immediately rapidly cooled to a temperature not greater than 7C.


(3) Liquid egg yolk must not be sold or used in the manufacture of food unless it has been pasteurised by being retained at a temperature not lower than 60C for at least 3.5 minutes and immediately rapidly cooled to a temperature not greater than 7C.

(4)                    Subject to subclause 2(2) of Standard 2.2.2, liquid egg white must not be sold or used in the manufacture of food unless it has been pasteurised by being retained at a temperature not lower than 55C for at least 9.5 minutes and immediately rapidly cooled to a temperature not greater than 7C.

 

Editorial note:

 

From raw material production to the point of consumption, egg products and products containing egg products should be subject to a combination of control measures, including, for example, pasteurisation, and such measures should be shown to achieve the appropriate level of public health protection.

 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for egg products are regulated under the Animal Products Act 1999, and until November 2002, the Food Act 1981. 

 

4 Eviscerated poultry

 

(1) Poultry in the form of an eviscerated carcass may include the gizzard, heart, liver, neck or a combination thereof.

(2)                    Uneviscerated poultry must not be frozen.

 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for poultry are regulated under the Animal Products Act 1999, and until November 2002, the Food Act 1981. 

 

5 Dried meat

Dried meat means meat that has been dried to a water activity of no more than 0.85 but does not include slow dried cured meat.

 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for dried meat are regulated under the Animal Products Act 1999 and the Food Act 1981. 

 

6 Crocodile meat

(1) In this clause -

 

crocodile meat means the skeletal muscle of the family Crocodylidae including any attached fat, connective tissue, nerve, blood and blood vessels, but does not include head meat.

 


(2) Crocodile meat must be derived from farmed animals and be handled in accordance with and under the conditions specified in the Standing Committee on Agriculture's Australian Code of Practice for Veterinary Public Health: The Hygienic Production of Crocodile Meat for Human Consumption, 1993, published by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

 

(3)                    A person must not sell as food any part of the carcass of the family Crocodylidae that is not crocodile meat.

 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for crocodile meat are regulated under the Animal Products Act 1999 and the Food Act 1981. 

 

7 Game meat

(1) In this clause -

game meat means the whole or part of the carcass of any bird, buffalo, camel, deer, donkey, goat, hare, horse, kangaroo, rabbit, pig, possum or wallaby that has been slaughtered in the wild state, but does not include avian eggs, foetuses, parts of foetuses or pouch young.

game meat flesh means skeletal game meat muscle, including any attached fat, connective tissue, nerve, blood, blood vessels and, in the case of birds, skin.

game offal means game meat other than game meat flesh.

(2) Game meat, except game birds, must be obtained -

(a) from a game carcass which has been subjected to governmentally approved post mortem inspection;  or

(b) in accordance with a governmentally approved quality assurance program designed to ensure that the game meat is fit for human consumption.

(4)                    Game meat offal, except for bone or cartilage attached to game meat flesh, must not be sold as or used in the preparation of food.

 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for game meat are regulated under the Animal Products Act 1999 and the Food Act 1981. 

 

8 Fermented comminuted processed meat

(1) In this clause -

 

comminuted means chopped, diced or minced.

 

mechanically separated meat means meat that has been separated from bone by a mechanical process that results in comminuted meat.

 

rendered trimmings means the cooked meat fractions derived from the rendering of meat trimmings, excluding ligamentum nuchae.

 

(2) A fermented comminuted processed meat is heat treated if it has had its core temperature maintained at 55°C for a period of at least 20 minutes, or an equivalent combination of time and higher temperature.


(3) A fermented comminuted processed meat is cooked if it has had its core temperature maintained at 65C for a period of at least 10 minutes, or an equivalent combination of time and higher temperature.

(4) A fermented meat product must not contain mechanically separated meat or rendered trimmings unless it has been cooked in accordance with subclause (3).

 

Editorial note:

 

Processed meat in this clause includes processed meat and manufactured meat in accordance with Standard 2.2.1, irrespective of the prescribed names set out in that Standard.

 

Advisory Guidelines for the Hygienic Production of Uncooked Fermented Comminuted Meat Products have been published by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority to assist manufacturers and officials to give effect to the provisions in this clause. 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for fermented comminuted processed meat are regulated under the Food Act 1981.

 

9 Production of fermented comminuted meat which has not been cooked

(1) In this clause –

(a) a product has been cooked if it has had its core temperature maintained at 65C for at least 10 minutes or an equivalent combination of time and higher temperature during production;  and

(b) starter culture means a preparation of micro-organisms prepared for the purpose of fermenting meat which -

(i) successfully competes for the nutrients in the meat medium;  and

(ii) produces microbial inhibitors;  and

(iii) is microbiologically safe;  and

(iv) produces a controlled reduction of the pH of the meat mix.

(2) Fermentation of a comminuted meat product which will not be cooked must be initiated through the use of a starter culture.

(3) A previously fermented or fermenting meat product must be cooked prior to use as an ingredient in a fermented comminuted meat product which will not itself be cooked.

(4) The number of Escherichia coli organisms in a fermented comminuted meat product which will not be cooked must be monitored and recorded for the -

(a) ingoing raw meat ingredients;  and

(b) product after fermentation and any subsequent process.

(5) The pH of fermenting comminuted meat products which will not be cooked, measured in accordance with Method 1 in the Schedule, and the fermentation room temperature, must be monitored and recorded during fermentation.

(6) Measurements recorded under subclauses (4) and (5) must be kept either for 1 year after the end of the minimum durable life of the product, or 2 years, whichever is the greater. 

(7) Meat for a fermented comminuted meat product which will not be cooked must, if stored by the manufacturer, be stored at 5C or below prior to fermentation.

 


(8)                    The process of fermentation and any other subsequent processes must reduce prior to sale from the processing factory by 99.9% or greater the number of Escherichia coli organisms potentially present in a fermented comminuted meat product which has not been cooked.

 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for fermented comminuted meat which has not been cooked are regulated under the Food Act 1981.

 

10 Semi-dry heat-treated processed meat

Semi-dry heat-treated processed meat must -

(a) have been heat-treated in the primary package so that all parts of the product reach a temperature of not less than 78C;  and

(b) have a pH of not less than 5.5 when determined by Method 1 in the Schedule;  and

(c)   have a water activity between 0.910 and 0.950 when determined by Section 978.18A-F of the A.O.A.C. 15th Edition.

 

Editorial note for New Zealand:

 

For New Zealand purposes, processing requirements for semi-dry heat-treated processed meat are regulated under the Food Act 1981.

 

 

Schedule

Methods of Analysis

 

1 Meat Determination of pH.

 

Mince a representative portion of the sample of fermenting comminuted meat product or semi-dry heat-treated processed meat and place that portion in a stoppered bottle with twice its weight of water.  Shake at five minute intervals for 30 minutes and determine the pH value of the liquid electrometrically at 20C.

2 Escherichia coli

 

Proceed in accordance with the triplicate tube method specified in current Australian standard method AS 1766.2.3 Food Microbiology, save that for the purpose of this method, when 5 sample units each consisting of 10 grams or more of fermented comminuted meat product are examined as detailed, the result shall be reported as 'Escherichia coli  not detected in 0.1 g' only when no Escherichia coli has been detected in at least 4 of the 5 sample units.