ADVISORY FOR RETAIL PROCESSING WITH PROPER CONTROL AND VARIANCE FOR PRODUCT SAFETY

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: TERMINATED
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0189954
• Grant No.: 2001-51110-11420
• Project No.: FLA-FOS-03997
• Proposal No.: 2001-05001
• Project Start Date: Sep 15, 2001
• Project End Date: Jan 31, 2004
• Grant Year: 2001

Project Director
Otwell, W. S.

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611

Performing Department
FOOD SCIENCE & HUMAN NUTRITION

Non Technical Summary
In recent years retail establishments have expanded food manufacturing/ processing operations. Emerging pathogens associated with many of these products have resulted in the need for added scrutiny and training in these establishments. This proposal integrates the stakeholders in retail processing food safety to address emerging issues associated with processing in the retail environment using a HACCP approach where applicable.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
712	4099	1100	100%

Knowledge Area
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
4099 - Microorganisms, general/other;

Field Of Science
1100 - Bacteriology;

Keywords

food safety

food processing

retail marketing

variance

food contamination

bacterial contamination

food microbiology

extension

cooperative research

government regulation

quantitative analysis

baseline studies

data analysis

guidelines

world wide web

information dissemination

specialty foods

fruit juices

meat products

fresh produce

food packaging

smoked meat

fish products

raw meat

training programs

Goals / Objectives
1. Initiate a 'Advisory for Retail Processing' (ARP) for high risk foods which includes national representatives from extension programs (academic advisors), federal agencies, regional state regulatory affiliates, retail industry, retail industry trade organizations, and AFDO leadership to provide information, guidance, regulatory support and training for industry and regulatory officials who are involved in assuring retail food safety. 2. Complete a qualitative and quantitative baseline research assessment of the types of manufacturing currently being performed at retail. From the compiled data, identify and prioritize product/process pairs that present the major food safety concerns. 3. Develop an 'Advisory Compendium for Retail Processing of High Risk Foods' that will provide guidance to industry and regulatory jurisdictions for uniform controls and variance for retail. Maintain the Compendium on the AFDO web site and advance notice and utility of this site. 4. Provide initial advisories in the Compendium for retail processing for Specialty Meats/Poultry, Fresh Juices, Fresh-Cut Produce, Reduced Oxygen Packaging, Smoked Fish, and Sushi. Provide this information to support and encourage training through established extension programs at the state and county levels. Protocol will be developed to provide AFDO certifications for future training.

Project Methods
An initial 'Advisory for Retail Processing' (ARP) will be organized to compile a baseline research assessment from available state-based inspection data for identification and proritization of key areas of food safety concerns in specialized processing in the retail environment. Approximately, 20 to 25 participants for the ARP Steering Committee will be selected from the appropriate representatives from USDA/FSIS, FDA, CDC, CFP, AFDO regional affiliates, academia, retail industry, and respective trade associations. Assignments will include: Conducting and compiling the 'State-based Research Assessment on Retail Processing' to serve as the qualitative and quantitative baseline per products/processes that present food safety risk. Development of the 'Advisory Compendium for Retail Processing of High Risk Foods' to include structure, format and criteria for entries. Drafting protocols for AFDO certification for training in the respective retail processing for food safety, i.e., Specialty Meats, Fresh Juices, Fresh Cut Produce, Reduce Oxygen Packaging, Smoked Fish and Sushi. Developing Compendium Advisories for retail processing.

Progress 09/15/01 to 01/31/04

Outputs
A series of retail processing guides were prepared in response to a notable increase in on-site retail processing (manufacturing) of foods traditionally processed in controlled plant environments. The intent was to improve and assure food safety. The primary audiences were the commercial retailers respective state and local regulatory programs that must account for variances in such retail operations. Such retail processing can involve, but is not limited to acidifying, smoking, drying, fermenting, curing, reduced oxygen packaging, and other operations that are traditionally done at a food manufacturing plant level. The key distinction for processing as related to this guidance is that the processing occurs on-site in the retail setting. Nine guides were prepared and have been forwarded to the Association of Food & Drug Officials for posting on their website (AFDO.org). The guides include - Sushi, Reduced Oxygen Packaing for Seafood, Fresh Cut Produce, Smoked Seafood, Fresh Juices, Cured & Smoked Ham & Pork Loins, Cured & Smopked Sausages, Fermented and Dried Sausage, and Beef Jerky. This guidance is intended for retailers and regulatory personnel in order to understand controls to implement in a retail operation in order to process and sell safe food products. It can be referenced in developing considerations for variances for any exception or special provision to state or local food safety or sanitary codes. It addresses those special variances required by the FDA Food Code which may require HACCP plans for those jurisdictions that have adopted the U.S. Food Code provisions. In addition, it also applies to regulatory oversight and/or approval for overlap that may occur between the state processing requirements (usually pursuant to 21 CFR 110) and the state or local retail food safety and sanitary codes. Bound copies of the guides are in preparation at the University of Florida for limited distribution by AFDO.

Impacts
Nine detailed retail processing guides are now available to help direct commercial retail processing activities and to assist the respective regulatory programs in judging and permiting such opertaions in a retail setting. These guides are based on expert reviews by a selected commercial panel across numerous states, various retail levels and the respective federal and state regulatory programs.

Publications

• Otwell, Schneider, Garrido and Mobley. 2004. Fermented & Dried Sausages, Retail guides to be posted on the AFDO website(AFDO.org)
• Otwell, Schneider, Garrido and Mobley. 2004. Guidance for Retail Processing of Beef Jerky, Retail guides to be posted on the AFDO website(AFDO.org)
• Otwell, Schneider, Garrido and Mobley. 2004. Guidance for Retail Processing of Reduced Oxygen Packaging for Seafood, Retail guides to be posted on the AFDO website(AFDO.org)
• Otwell, Schneider, Garrido and Mobley. 2004. Guidance for Retail Processing of Sushi, Retail guides to be posted on the AFDO website(AFDO.org.
• Otwell, Schneider, Garrido and Mobley. 2004. Guidance for Retail Processing of Smoked Seafood, Retail guides to be posted on the AFDO website(AFDO.org)
• Schneider, Otwell, Garrido and Mobley. 2004. Guidance for Retail Processing of Fresh Cut Produce, Retail guides to be posted on the AFDO website(AFDO.org)
• Schneider, Otwell, Garrido and Mobley. 2004. Guidance for Retail Processing of Packaged Fresh Juices, Retail guides to be posted on the AFDO website(AFDO.org)
• Otwell, Schneider, Garrido and Mobley. 2004. Guidance for Retail Processing of Cured & Smoked Ham & Pork Loins, Retail guides to be posted on the AFDO website(AFDO.org)
• Otwell, Schneider, Garrido and Mobley. 2004. Guidance for Retail Processing of Cured & Smoked Sausages, Retail guides to be posted on the AFDO website(AFDO.org)

Progress 10/01/01 to 10/01/02

Outputs
1. The 'Advisory for Retail Processing Committee' was formed and convened in May 2002. Subsequent and continuing communications are advancing the recommendations for inclusion in 7 individual retail processing guides currently under production by 7 assigned subcommittees. 2. The qualitative and quantitative baseline survey of every state in the nation has been completed and compiled to reflect the primary problems, concerns and recommendations to address food processing in retail settings. 3. Seven retail guidance documents for food processing in retail settings are in production following a standard format introduced for the initial guidance on sushi. the deadline for first drafts is May 2003.

Impacts
Retail guidance documents for food processing in retail settings will provide recommendations to direct commercial and regulatory practices that assure food safety.

Publications

• Retail guidances for food processing in retail settings will be made available in draft and web-site (AFDO) formats afteer May 2003.