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Risk Management Programme Manual for Animal Product Processing

13 Appendix E: Examples of Limits

Amendment 3

October 2009

Table 1: Examples of Limits for Products for Human Consumption

Product

Regulatory Limits

Operator-Defined Limits

Controls

Specifications

Food Standards Code

RAW, NOT FURTHER PROCESSED

Raw red meat and offal

----

----

Operator may define microbiological and defect levels

GOP

Poultry

3.78 log10 CFU / carcass (Schedule 1, NMD Programme)

----

Operator may define microbiological and defect levels

GOP

MSM - red meat and poultry

----

----

Operator should define microbiological limits

GOP

Wetfish

Histamine level ≤ 200mg/kg

Histamine level ≤ 200mg/kg

----

GOP

----

----

Operator should establish requirement for viable parasites to be absent, if known that fish is to be eaten raw

GOP

Bivalve molluscan shellfish other than scallops

E. coli/g:
n = 5 c = 1 m = 2.3 M = 7
Salmonella/25g:

n = 5 c = 0 m = 0

E. coli/g:
n = 5 c = 1 m = 2.3 M = 7

----

GOP

Raw crustacean (not live)

----

Coagulase - positive staphylococci/g:
n = 5 c = 2 m = 102 M = 103
Salmonella/
25g:
n = 5 c = 0 m = 0
SPC/g:

n = 5 c = 2 m = 5 x 105 M = 5 x 106

----

GOP

----

Specified additive level (e.g. sulphur dioxide, sodium and potassium sulphites ≤ 100 mg/kg)

----

GOP

Product

Regulatory Limits

Operator-Defined Limits

Controls

Specifications

Food Standards Code

FURTHER PROCESSED

Casings.

Water activity ≤ 0.83

SO2 ≤ 500 mg/kg

----

GOP

Raw meat & poultry products (e.g. patties, sausage)

----

Specified additive level
(e.g. nitrate ≤ 125 mg/kg)

----

GOP if curing mix used. May be a CCP when nitrite added on its own

----

----

Operator may define hazard levels (e.g. microbiological or metal level)

GOP

GOP or CCP - metal detection

Cooked cured/salted meat

----

Coagulase - positive staphylococci/g:

n = 5 c = 1 m = 102 M = 103

Listeria monocytogenes/25g:

n = 5 c = 0 m = 0

Salmonella/25g:

n = 5 c = 0 m = 0

Operator must define lethality (e.g. 6D destruction of Listeria monocytogenes), or cooking time and temperature that will achieve required lethality

CCP – cooking

----

Specified additive level
(e.g. nitrite ≤ 125 mg/kg)

----

GOP if curing mix used. May be a CCP when nitrite added on its own

Heat treated meat paste and paté

----

Listeria monocytogenes/25g:
n = 5 c = 0 m = 0
Salmonella
/25g:
n = 5 c = 0 m = 0

Operator must define lethality (e.g. 6D destruction of Listeria monocytogenes), or cooking time and temperature that will achieve required lethality

CCP – Cooking

----

Specified additive level
(e.g. nitrite ≤ 125 mg/kg)

----

GOP if curing mix used. May be a CCP when nitrite added on its own

Uncooked comminuted fermented meats

----

Coagulase - positive staphylococci/g:
n = 5 c = 1 m = 103 M = 104
E. coli
/g:
n = 5 c = 1 m = 3.6 M = 9.2
Salmonella
/25 g:
n = 5 c = 0 m = 0

Operator must define pH and water activity

CCP - fermentation, maturation

----

Nitrite ≤ 500 mg/kg

----

GOP if curing mix used. May be a CCP when nitrite added on its own

Cooked uncured meats (e.g. roast beef, chicken)

----

----

Operator must define microbiological levels (e.g. same as that for cooked cured meats)

CCP - cooking GOP post - cook handling

   

Operator must define lethality (e.g. 6D destruction of Listeria monocytogenes), or cooking time and temperature that will achieve required lethality

CCP-cooking

----

Specified additive level

----

GOP.

Dried meat & poultry (e.g. jerky; freeze dried meat)

----

----

Operator should define microbiological levels, water activity and/or moisture content

CCP - drying/ cooking

----

Specified additive level
(e.g. nitrite ≤ 125 mg/kg)

----

GOP if curing mix used. May be a CCP when nitrite added on its own

Cooked crustacean

----

Coagulase - positive staphylococci/g:

n = 5 c = 2 m = 102 M = 103

Salmonella 25g:

n = 5 c = 0 m = 0

SPC/g:

n = 5 c = 2 m = 105 M = 106

Operator must define lethality

CCP – cooking

RTE processed finfish other than retorted (e.g. smoked fish, vacuum packaged cooked fish, manufactured fish products)

----

Listeria monocytogenes/g:

n = 5 c = 1 m = 0 M = 102

Operator must define lethality (e.g. 6D destruction of Listeria monocytogenes), or cooking time and temperature that will achieve required lethality

CCP – hot smoking or cooking

Histamine level ≤ 200mg/kg

Histamine level ≤ 200mg/kg

----

GOP

Bivalve molluscan shellfish that have undergone processing other than depuration (e.g. heat shocked, cooked)

----

Listeria monocytognes/25g:

n = 5 c = 0 m = 0

Operator must define lethality (e.g. 6D destruction of Listeria monocytogenes), or cooking time and temperature that will achieve required lethality

CCP - thermal step

Dried shelf stable fish

Histamine level ≤ 200mg/kg

----

----

GOP

----

----

Operator should define water activity and/or moisture content

GOP

Fish or fish products with pH < 4.6 (e.g. marinated mussels)

Histamine level ≤ 200mg/kg

----

----

GOP

----

----

Operator should define pH < 4.6

CCP – acidification

Pasteurised egg

----

Salmonella:
n = 5 c = 0 m = 0

----

CCP – pasteurisation

Low acid canned foods

----

----

Commercially sterile by application of a 12D thermal process for C. botulinum

CCP – retorting

----

Specified additive level

----

GOP

Edible fat/oils

----

Specified additive level

----

GOP

Dried deer velvet

----

----

Operator should define water activity and/or moisture content

GOP

Honey

 

Moisture content ≤ 21%

----

GOP

Table 2: Examples of Limits for Products for Animal Consumption

Product

Regulatory Limits

Operator-Defined Limits

Control

Raw meat and offal

----

Operator may define microbiological and defect levels

GOP

Dry rendered meals (e.g. meat and bone, blood)

Medium risk material: No vegetative pathogens, viruses and protozoa, and inactivate chemical substances that are harmful if consumed by animals. AC spec 72(1)

----

CCP - rendering or drying

GOP post CCP

----

Operator should define moisture content (e.g. ≤ 10%)

GOP

Heat treated, not shelf stable meat products that include offal (liver and lungs) of ruminants and pigs that are intended to be consumed by dogs without further processing (e.g. dog rolls)

No viable hydatids

(Biosecurity Notice No. 1204)

Operator may define microbiological levels

CCP – cooking

Dried meat products (e.g. jerky)

----

Operator should define water activity and/or moisture content

CCP - drying/ cooking

Low acid canned foods

----

Commercially sterile by application of a 12D thermal process for C. botulinum

CCP – retorting

Table 3: Examples of Limits for Dairy Material and Dairy Products for Human Consumption

Product

Regulatory Limits

Operator-Defined Limits

Control

All dairy products for human consumption

All dairy products must be wholesome and not contain any foreign matter that constitutes a food safety hazard

Operator must define what constitutes a food safety hazard

GOP

Dairy product must not exceed the following Product Safety Limits at any time during the product’s shelf life (assuming the product is stored and handled according to manufacturer guidelines):

----

GOP

 

General

Specific

Salmonella spp.

ND/25g

ND/250g

L. mono.

ND/25g(4)

ND/25g

Coag. Pos. Staph

1000/g

100/g

B. cereus

1000/g

100/g(5)

E. coli

100/g

10/g

Further detail is contained in DPC1: Approved Criteria for General Dairy Processing

All dairy products manufactured in NZ or for sale in NZ or Australia

Dairy products must comply with the microbiological limits in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (refer to www.foodstandards.govt.nz for details)

Operator may define additional microbiological levels for in-process or final product

 

Dairy products manufactured in NZ or for sale in NZ

Dairy products must not contain any residues exceeding the limits specified in the New Zealand (Maximum Residue Limits of Agricultural Compounds) Food Standards 2005

Operator may define additional residue limits

 

Dairy products manufactured for export

Dairy products must not contain any residues exceeding the limits specified by Codex

----

 

Dairy products for sale in NZ

Levels of toxic trace metal should not exceed the limits specified in the Food Standards Code (refer to Volume Two Standard 1.4.1 Contaminants and Natural Toxicants)

Further detail is contained in DPC1:Approved Criteria for General Dairy Processing

----

 

All dairy products for human consumption

Dairy product must comply with the food safety limits specified in fortification standards issued by Codex – refer to Codex Standard 72, 1981 “Infant Formula” and Codex Standard 156, 1987 “Follow-up Formula” (available on the Codex website) and the Food Standards Code

----

 
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