FD202 Conducting Acidified Food Inspections

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North Carolina State University
Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences

FD202 Conducting Acidified Food Inspections Onsite Course

General Format:

  • Students are assigned to groups of four. Each group is presented with three products with or without container and closure defects.
  • Each product will have a set of records including pH/water activity, thermal process and container closure evaluation as well as formulation, process authority letter and filings.
  • Class will break up into groups after each lecture to evaluate their products in the area of the previous presentations.
  • Each group will be assigned a cadre member who will represent plant management for the products assigned.

Day One

Course Introduction

Lecture: Acid vs. Acidified

  1. Regulations, definition of acidified food, 10% rule, pH shift, exemptions (water activity, carbonated beverages)
  2. Example calculations and discussion of problem products

Lecture: Principles of Acidified Foods

  1. pH measurements and pH meter calibration, sample preparation and measurement, including examples acid penetration and buffering capacity

Work Group

  1. General instructions, example of records, type questions to ask
  2. Receive three samples, determine if acidified/acid/exempt
  3. pH measurements
  4. Group presentations

Lecture: Filing/Process Letters

  1. Process authority letters and FDA filing
  2. Calculating D-values, z-values, F-values

Work Group

  1. Determine if acidified product records match process authority letter, process filing

Day Two

Work Group (cont'd)

  1. Group work presentations

Lecture: Containers and Closures

  1. Brief review with examples of containers unique to acidified products

Work Group

  1. Container and closure records
  2. Measure pull-up and security, defects
  3. Group presentations

Final Exam

  1. Write 3511A inspection report
  2. Course feedback, questions, answers

Day Three

  1. Field Tour of Mount Olive Pickle Company, Inc.
  2. Course Evaluations

Funding for this acidified food distance education course was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through grant 1U54FD004326-01, views expressed in written materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.