Letter to the Editor
I reading Dennis Bogart’s article “How to Clean and Sanitize in an Organic Food Production Facility” (Organic Processing, October-December 2003, p. 16). Since we operate an organic processing facility, I have a question about the use of sanitizers, in particular about Vortexx (a peroxyacetic acid blend, or PAA) made by Ecolab.
Are the use of sanitizers regulated by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), and if so how? Does the sanitizer need to be rinsed after we apply it to a food contact surface? Our organic certifier states that we must rinse the sanitizer off with water after use or provide documentation that it is not necessary. I contacted Ecolab and they stated that cleaners and sanitizers do not need to meet the NOP because they are not directly applied to the food. Further, Ecolab stated that if used in the concentration stated on the Vortexx label, a potable water rinse is not required and the sanitizer will break down rapidly into water and oxygen.
Can Mr. Bogart clarify the use of sanitizer in relation to the NOP? If Vortexx requires a rinse after its use, then wouldn’t it defeat the purpose of sanitizing? Thank you very much for a great article!
—Will Ma
Quality Assurance, NRE World Bento, Inc., Fairfield, CA
Author Dennis Bogart, Randolph Associates, replies: You ask some very good questions regarding the use of a PAA sanitizer in an organic processing plant. To try to answer your first question, the regulation of product contact surface sanitizers is referenced in the USDA NOP, sections 205.206 (a-d) and 205.601. As I read the regulations, PAA is acceptable as a sanitizer. Since all sanitizers are regulated by the EPA (which takes precedence over USDA), the label directions must be followed. You are correct that rinsing the sanitizer off the surface negates its purpose and is a bad idea. PAA is very environmentally and organically friendly. It dries without any synthetic residue and quickly breaks down to water and oxygen in a waste treatment plant.
The documentation needed for your certifier is the product label. If it does not specifically state that it may be rinsed, then it would be illegal to do so. To my knowledge, there is no sanitizer currently used that will allow a potable water rinse and maintain a sanitary surface.
ON THE MOVE
Joe Hall, technical sales manager with California Natural Products (CNP), has retired (www.californianatural.com). John Ashby joins CNP as Director, Ingredient Sales. Hall will continue to provide consulting as president of Terravita Organic (terravitaorganic@comcast.net).
John Troy, founder and Organic Taste Wizard of The Wizard’s Cauldron, Ltd. (www.wizardscauldron.com), announces the appointment of Mark Novak as president of the company. Novak has 25 years of natural and specialty foods experience in a wide range of executive, manufacturing, marketing and distribution positions.
Organic certification company Quality Assurance International Inc. (www.qai-inc.com) celebrated its move to a new facility in December with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by many of its San Diego-area clients. QAI’s new address is: 9191 Towne Centre Dr., Ste. 510, San Diego, CA 92122. The phone numbers remain the same.
Ron Schlecht joins Fargo, ND-based SK Food International as Crop Production Manager, where he will work directly with the company’s network of growers to secure high quality organic and conventional non-GMO commodities (www.skfood.com).
United Natural Foods, Inc. (www.unfi.com) has partnered with Sodexho USA to distribute natural and organic products to Sodexho USA’s 6,000 institutional foodservice facilities across the U.S.
Di Giorgio Corp. has established a new division, DGI Specialty Foods, which will offer a complete line of specialty food products including organic, ethnic, gourmet and imported items (www.whiterose.com). Jeff Kolpen, who has more than 30 years’ experience in specialty and international foods, will head up the new division.
