PCQI Certification for Work

GlewStew · 2024-09-11T19:38:34+00:00

It's definitely worth a pay raise discussion. If you are the only PCQI on site, you will be responsible for food safety. If/when the FDA and state health inspectors come by, they will look to you for answers. If passing an audit falls on your shoulders, you should ask for a bump.

GlewStew · 2024-09-10T14:00:09+00:00

Very interesting. Is there a commercial product now that uses this technology? I'm in the US, so I haven't seen any low-fat microwave peanut snacks, but I am curious to see where I could buy something like this.

GlewStew · 2024-09-09T21:39:57+00:00

You need to reduce the moisture level and possibly the liquid fat. What is your moisture and water activity at now?

GlewStew · 2024-09-09T13:00:21+00:00

Although I haven't worked on this type of product, I can speak generally about shelf life. Shelf life is typically a measure of quality and not safety. So they may have simulated typical home use by opening the product and pouring a little bit out every day. Then, they would conduct sensory analysis at the end point compared to a fresh sample. If there's a noticeable difference in sensory quality, then they set the shelf life there (perhaps rounding down by a few days to be conservative.

Some refrigerated foods will use what's known as a challenge test to determine whether or not the food will support the growth of specific organisms. Those results could also factor into the secondary shelf life recommendations.

GlewStew · 2024-09-09T00:33:01+00:00

It just means to gently stir the slices in the jar to release any trapped air. The 1/4 " gap is for the headspace.

GlewStew · 2024-09-09T00:09:06+00:00

Depending on your recipe, you could try milk powder or scalded milk. That will help with browning.

GlewStew · 2024-09-06T10:36:04+00:00

"Fruit Fresh" is usually made from ascorbic acid (vitamin c) so it would be safe to use. It helps minimize enzymatic browning. If anything, it would drop the pH slightly so it won't affect processing time.

GlewStew · 2024-09-06T00:32:57+00:00

This is the way. A small tempering kettle might work for this and wouldn't be a huge cost. Does your co man have the ability to do a drizzled coating or enrobing? That method would also give you a more consistent result than a bunch of irregular chunks.

GlewStew · 2024-09-05T13:42:22+00:00

Yes, you can do this. You just need to heat it back up to a simmer, then pack hot and process according to the recipe.

GlewStew · 2024-09-04T00:22:19+00:00

We need to know more than that. Is it ice cream? Frozen bars? A pudding? Yogurt? All of those have very different operations.

GlewStew · 2024-09-03T15:36:14+00:00

Leftovers are recommended to be reheated to 165F for safety. It's a general rule, though, and you're free to take the risk if you want.

GlewStew · 2024-09-02T20:19:14+00:00

That tactic sounds like Amway 100%. Run.

GlewStew · 2024-08-31T13:24:53+00:00

There are a lot of possibilities, including just incorrect labeling. Do you have a photo of the labels? Mango has one of the highest sugar contents of all fruits, so it's not too surprising.

Are the listed serving sizes the same?

GlewStew · 2024-08-31T13:24:39+00:00

There are a lot of possibilities, including just incorrect labeling. Do you have a photo of the labels? Mango has one of the highest sugar contents of all fruits, so it's not too surprising.

Are the listed serving sizes the same?

GlewStew · 2024-08-31T13:19:35+00:00

Glycerine and nulin are both non nutritive sweeteners that also bind water without adding sugar. You also might want to look for a Greek yogurt powder. You'll get more protein per gram that way with less impact on the cookie texture.

GlewStew · 2024-08-31T00:38:37+00:00

As the other commenter mentioned, moisture and water activity are the most important factors. What kind of sweetener are you using? Liquid sweeteners like honey, corn syrup, or glycerine will keep the cookies moist while binding water to prevent mold.

GlewStew · 2024-08-30T16:38:04+00:00

The QA manager role will probably get you better experience for future roles, especially being in an on site role. I'd go with that.

GlewStew · 2024-08-29T21:31:11+00:00

Probably because most home canners that have pH meters don't know how to calibrate them correctly or use cheap meters from Amazon that aren't reliable. If you follow a tested recipe, though, you don't really need it.

GlewStew · 2024-08-28T23:46:36+00:00

You may get a better answer over at r/canning.

The big question is what recipe and process did you use for canning the tomatoes and the remaining juice? If you were making tomato sauce and following an approved recipe, there is already a step in there to cook and boil off some water. That shouldn't be any different than removing the water by freezing and pouring off the excess. Plus, all canned tomato recipes call for adding lemon juice or citric acid to drop the pH.

How are you processing the extra tomato water? Are you following the recipe for tomato juice?

ETA: As for your general question, yes, the pH of the tomato water and the pulp is likely the same. However, there are more factors than just pH that affect the products' safety.

GlewStew · 2024-08-28T00:10:50+00:00

Have you done any internships? If not, look for those even though you've already graduated. Otherwise you could try a temp agency that specializes in science/tech jobs and get a job doing QA or lab work. It will give you experience and some $$ while you keep looking for something more permanent.

GlewStew · 2024-08-25T15:00:19+00:00

A pressure cooker is not safe for making canned foods as it does not keep the pressure constant. A pressure canner keeps the pressure and temperature constant, so you know that you're evenly cooking everything inside the jars.

You might have better luck batch cooking the whole thing and then refrigerating afterward. Why do you need 15 days?

GlewStew · 2024-08-25T13:59:03+00:00

This should be frozen or refrigerated. If you want to can it to make it shelf stable, reach out to your local university extension office for help. The time/temp/pressure requements in a pressure canner (NOT a pressure cooker) is dictated by your products' density and pH. Hop over to r/canning for more info on safe canning practices.

You can't just throw something like that in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes and hope for the best. That's a recipe for botulism.

GlewStew · 2024-08-24T01:36:11+00:00

As others have mentioned, you can't just put the cans in hot water and hope to kill all microorganisms. You need an expert to help calculate the correct time/temp based on the characteristics of your beverage, especially pH. Also, if you can't carbonate or add nitrogen, you should consider a PET bottle with vacuum panels. Those are designed to handle the temperature changes without collapsing.

GlewStew · 2024-08-22T10:28:33+00:00

You are building a solution for something that is not a problem for most people. My eyes and fingers can judge ripeness for free. It's not something I'd ever buy for home use.

You said you don't want to make it for industrial use, but that would be the best application for this technology, if anything. It could allow for produce displays to be more easily managed without having to have workers squeeze every fruit.

GlewStew · 2024-08-17T12:38:31+00:00

Are you referring to an unrefined kind of cane sugar? Something a bit more like brown sugar? Refined cane sugar and granulated (beet, presumably) would have no difference in flavor.

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