Canning

(1) For canning with heat processing and hermetically sealed containers the following regulations shall apply– (a) containers shall be cleaned thoroughly immediately before filling and precautions must be taken to avoid subsequent soiling of the inner surfaces; (b) containers of metal, glass or other materials shall be washed in an inverted position with a water spray. The nozzle on the spray attachment shall be of such a design and the water delivered with such pressure as will effectively rinse all of the inner surface of each container. Such containers shall not contain an accumulation of water when received at the filling station. In lieu of cleaning with water, the use of efficient jet-vacuum type equipment for cleaning containers is permitted, immediately prior to filling; (c) nothing less than perfect closure is acceptable for hermetically sealed containers; (d) careful inspection shall be made of the container by competent establishment employees immediately after closing and the containers that are defectively filled or defectively closed or show inadequate vacuum shall not be processed until the defect has been corrected. The containers shall again be inspected by establishment employees when they have cooled sufficiently for handling after processing by heating. The contents of defective containers shall be condemned unless correction of the defect is accomplished Food and Drugs 109 within six hours following the sealing of the containers or completion of the heat processing as the case may be except that– (i) if the defective condition is discovered during an afternoon run, the cans of product may be held in coolers at a temperature of not exceeding 38°F (3.3°C) under conditions that will promptly and effectively chill them until the following day when the defect may be corrected; (ii) short vacuum or overstuffed cans of product which have not been handled in accordance with subparagraph (i) of this paragraph may be incubated under inspection supervision after which the cans shall be opened and the sound product passed for food; and (ii) short vacuum or overstuffed cans of product of a class required to be labelled “Perishable, Keep under Refrigeration” and which have been kept under adequate refrigeration since processing may be opened and the sound product passed for food; (e) canned products shall not be passed unless, after cooling to atmospheric temperature they show the external characters of sound cans, that is the cans shall not be overfilled; they shall have concave sides excepting the seam side and all ends shall be concave; there shall be no bulging; the sides and ends conform to the product and there shall be no slack or loose tin; 110 Food and Drugs (f) all canned products shall be permanently and plainly marked on the container by code or otherwise with the identity of the contents and the date of canning, the code used and its meaning shall be on record in the office of the inspector; (g) canned products must be processed at such temperature and for such period of time as will assure keeping without refrigeration under usual conditions of storage and transportation, when heating is relied on for preservation, with the exception of these canned products which are processed without steam-pressure cooking by permission of the Minister and labelled “Perishable, Keep under Refrigeration”; (h) lots of canned product shall be identified during their handling preparatory to heat processing by tagging, in the baskets, cages or cans, with a tag that will change colour on going through the heat or by other effective means so as to positively preclude failure to heat process after closing; (i) facilities shall be provided to incubate, at least representative samples of the product fully processed and canned product. The incubation shall consist of holding the canned product for the periods of time and at the temperature prescribed in (4) hereunder– (1) Incubation tests shall be made to the extent required by the authorised officer. The extent to which incubation tests shall be required depends on conditions, such as the record of the establishment in Food and Drugs 111 conducting canning operations, the extent to which the establishment furnishes competent supervision and inspection in connection with the canning operations the character of the equipment used and the degree to which such equipment is maintained at maximum efficiency. Such factors will be considered by the authorised officer in determining the extent of incubation testing at a particular establishment. (2) In the event of failure by an establishment to provide suitable facilities for incubation of test samples, the inspector may require holding of the entire lot under such conditions and for such periods of time as may in his discretion, be necessary to establish the stability of the product. (3) The authorised officer may permit lots of canned product to be shipped from the establishment prior to completion of sample incubation when he has no reason to suspect unsoundness in the particular lots and under circumstances which will assure the return of the to the establishment for re-inspection should action be indicated by the incubation results. 112 Food and Drugs (4) Incubation shall consist of holding the samples at 95°F (± 2°F) (35°C ± 1°C), for no less than ten days except– (i) of firmly packed product such as luncheon meat and products with a high fat content such as chorizos packed in lard and products weighing three pounds or more shall be held at 95°F (± 2°F) (35°C ± 1°C) for not less than twenty days; (ii) samples of products composed of chunks or patties of meat in a medium or sauce where the ph of the meat component and the medium or sauce are significantly different shall be incubated at 95°F (± 2°F) (35°C ± 1°C) for not less than thirty days.