Ingredients company Purac, a leading producer of lactic acid, claims to have the answer to a recent US directive that classifies RTE meat and poultry products formulated with an antimicrobial agent as low risk products.

Directive 10,240.3, "Microbial Sampling of Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Products for the FSIS Verification Testing Program," from the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) instructs inspection programme personnel on when and how often to sample RTE meat and poultry products.

In order to qualify for the low-targeted verification programme, RTE meat and poultry processing establishments must also have a science-based program addressing Listeria monocytogenes in product, food contact surfaces, and the environment, and provide data from its testing program to FSIS inspection personnel.

RTE products processed with a sodium/potassium lactate and/or sodium diacetate formulation that has been validated through scientific studies to inhibit growth of Listeria monocytogenes are classified as Low Risk Products. Under the brand name PURASAL, Purac stressed this week that it offers a line of lactate/diacetate products.

The company added this week that, for RTE meat and poultry processors, it is advantageous to be included in the low-verification testing programme because decreased frequency of pathogen testing (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E.coli O157:H7) means lower costs for them. According to Purac, PURASAL Opti.Form, formulated from natural sodium or potassium lactate and sodium diacetate, provides the right balance between flavour and efficiency in controlling pathogens. The company claims that by adding appropriate concentrations of its product to RTE meat and poultry products, processors can easily and effectively obtain Low Risk Product classification for their RTE products.

Appropriate use levels of PURASAL Opti.Form can be determined with Purac's Opti.Form Listeria Control Model. This predictive model is used to calculate the levels of lactate and diacetate required to retard the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in cured meat and poultry products, taking into account such factors as the amount of moisture in the finished product, concentrations of sodium or potassium lactate, sodium diacetate and salt, and good manufacturing practices.