Is your product an “acidified-low acid
food”?*
In Maine low acid and acidified low acid foods fall under
the State of Maine Food Regulations and the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
21CFR113 and 21CFR114 .
To determine if your product falls under these regulations,
answer the following questions:
1. My product will be distributed and sold at room
temperature.
NO _____ refrigerated or frozen
foods currently do not fall under pH control regardless of pH or water
activity.
YES _____ proceed to question 2.
2. My product has a water activity of greater than 0.85.
NO _____ a food with a water
activity <0.85 does not fall under pH control regardless of product pH
YES _____ proceed to question 3
3. My product has a pH of greater than 4.6.
YES _____ low acid foods fall
under CFR 21-113. The heating process must be determined by a qualified person,
(thermal process authority) and supervisors for the acidification heat
processes must have passed the
NO _____ acidified low acid
products usually need to be submitted to the Department
of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Maine for product and
process approval.
Exception Examples:
Naturally acidic foods- canned peaches.
Microbially fermented foods- sauerkraut.
For further information on Process and Product Review go to the following website:
*Adapted from:
“Is your product an “acidified-low acid food”? L.J. Harris, Dept.of Food Science and Technology, UC Davis