Revised FSSAI notes on Microbiological Standards for Fruits and Vegetables

 

The microbiological standards had been revised by the Food Safety and Standards on the Fourth Amendment Regulations, 2018. These regulations came into existence by 1st January, 2019.

Microbiological standards of fruits and vegetables

• The whole fruits and vegetables had to be sold fresh, and should be in hygienic place.

• Before packing of sliced, minimally processed including the packaged drinks (non-thermally processed), will use a fruits and vegetables as a raw ingredient, that need to be properly washed or else cleaned, then to peel or cut off, and made into juice packed.

• The fruits, vegetables and their products which are processed using living ferments such as yeast, bacterium, mould, for the production of lactic acid. This need to be stored in acetic acid, salt, sugar or in edible vegetable oil.

• Sometimes, the fruits and vegetables are employed for pasteurization process to sterilize the harmful microorganisms in it.

• Any kind of beverages or drinks, which are prepared from fruit juice and water or carbonated water and sugar, dextrose, invert sugar or liquid glucose, that has been done either in single or combination with the presence or absence of peel oil and fruit essences.

• The fruits, vegetables and their products which are subjected to the freezing, should be keep at the temperature of -18oC.

• The has been preserved, sometimes by removing the water content that should be 

• Sometimes the water content of fruits and vegetables including their products has been removed and preserved, that need to be done by proper dehydrating process.

• Fruits and vegetables, including their products which are subjected to heat (other than pasteurization, should be done at less than 100oC), before or after being sealed container, that need to be followed in an appropriate manner, so as to avoid spoilage.

• Fruits, vegetables and their products should be canned or flexible packaged and processed by retortion.

Notable details in microbiological standards

• The categories mentioned as “fresh” denotes the proper manufacturing process and hygiene procedures in the Regulations, 2011.

• Perhaps the fermentation process, includes yeast/mould, the respective standard count doesn’t apply for it.

• Testing of listeria, has been excluded for the carbonated fruit beverages and pasteurized fruit juices, where the pH value is below 4.4.

• After the incubating the retort processed foods at 37oC for 10 days and at 55oC for 7 days, then it has been allowed for testing.

Microbiological standards applicable stages

The FSSAI microbiological standards denotes the regulations applicable only for food functioning and production process, as mentioned on the table. Yet it’s not applicable as requirements for releasing the item in the market. These standards indicating the corrective actions are required, to maintain hygiene in the whole process in compliance with food law.  These regulations are mainly pertinent at the end of manufacturing process.

To know more data about FSSAI standards, checkout FMT magazine updates.