Determine acidified food status.

The emphasis on acidified food regulations in the U.S. has prompted the University of Nebraska's Food Processing Center (143C H.C. Filley Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583) to assist companies in determining if they are producing products that would be classified as acidified foods. Such foods may include, but aren't limited to, salsa, sauce or dressing products packaged in hermetically-sealed containers.

Acidified foods include low-acid products to which sufficient acids have been added, creating a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below, and foods with a water activity greater than 0.85. Foods that are stored, distributed and retailed under refrigerated conditions are exempt.

The goal of the center's service is to determine if your product is acidified. This will be done by evaluating the product itself and the production processes. If a product meets the definition of an acidified food, processors must register with the FDA, file scheduled processes for each product and size, receive the proper training at an approved processing school, maintain specific processing records and only use equipment that meets minimal requirements.

If an acidifed food is not manufactured properly, it may pose a health hazard. Each product must be evaluated on an individual basis because of the variation in ingredients and formulations. It's the manufacturer's responsibility to determine if a product is an acidified food. The cost of the university's service is determined on a product-by-product basis.

The government's special regulatory requirements are set forth in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 113 and 114. According to memos from the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA, these agencies consider salsa, sauce and dressing products to be acidified low-acid foods unless they are stored, distributed and retailed under refrigerated conditions. Further information. Mary Beth Preston; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone].