2 replies to this topic

[thisusernameisnottaken]

Hello! I work for a bagged tea company where we rely on the consumer to hot steep their tea according to SKU specific directions.  I have been asked to provide current scientific or technical research to support the microbiological limits for a cold brew tea project. This cold brew project will not undergo any sort of kill step at the consumer level as it will be steeped with cold water. I am hoping that someone on this site would be able to point me in the right direction for appropriate scientific or technical research on microbiological hazards and their appropriate limits to be used as basis of justification for a cold brew HACCP plan. 

 

Side note, we are an organic company so we irradiation is not a possibility. I truly would value any input 

 

 

[SQFconsultant]

Cannot rely on the consumer to handle the kill step.

I've seen bagged tea used in a variety of ways that never involved heat.

I would either be sending samples out for testing or conducting in house testing with this being a condition of release.

In my previous carreer as an SQF Auditor I remember reviewing a haccp plan at one of the large cereal plants that milled and packaged oatmeal.

The Dir of QA built into the HAACP plan that they required the consumer to handle the kill step of cooking the oatmeal.

After some yelling and screaming at the director by the president of the company changes had to be made.

[Charles.C]

Hello! I work for a bagged tea company where we rely on the consumer to hot steep their tea according to SKU specific directions.  I have been asked to provide current scientific or technical research to support the microbiological limits for a cold brew tea project. This cold brew project will not undergo any sort of kill step at the consumer level as it will be steeped with cold water. I am hoping that someone on this site would be able to point me in the right direction for appropriate scientific or technical research on microbiological hazards and their appropriate limits to be used as basis of justification for a cold brew HACCP plan. 

 

Side note, we are an organic company so we irradiation is not a possibility. I truly would value any input 

Can try attachment in this post for typical hazards -

 

https://www.ifsqn.co...rer/#entry78783

 

PS - i think there is also a haccp plan for tea on the forum somewhere ex google.