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The Refrigerated Foods Association maintains a library of specialized
technical and other information resources. These resources are available
to RFA members at no extra charge. The following is a list of titles
from the collection. Please contact the RFA office at 770-452-0660
if you need any of these sent to you. For those available online,
follow the link to download.
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TECHNICAL
RESEARCH AND ARTICLES
- Shelf Life Protocol Study (2009)
The RFA Shelf Life Protocol establishes a standardized protocol
for determining the shelf life of refrigerated foods and enables
individual manufacturers to compare their stated shelf life with
the shelf life of similar products produced by other manufacturers.
Originally developed in 2002, the RFA Protocol has been newly updated
and revised to reflect important regulatory and technological changes
that have occurred since that time. Utilization of the RFA Protocol
is an important step in assurance of the quality and safety of refrigerated
foods and in meeting compliance with anticipated regulatory changes. Click
for the executive summary and information on how to obtain the full
report.
NOTE: The full 2009 RFA Shelf
Life Protocol Report is
available to members and non-members free of charge. However, we
do ask that non-members please give us their contact information
in order to obtain the report.
- 2008 RFA Technical Project - Part 1: The Safety of Fresh
and Fresh-cut Produce
in the Refrigerated Salad Industry
This is a guidance document detailing the microbial
safety of four fresh vegetables – cabbage, carrots, celery,
and onions – that are used as ingredients in refrigerated,
ready-to-eat (RTE) salad products.
The following document has been prepared to address these issues
and was compiled in two stages:
- (1) Literature Review of the Microbial Risks - Members-Only: Click
here to go to the download page (NOTE: User name and Password required)
- (2) Best Practices for Produce Safety in a Refrigerated
Salad Processing Plant - Members-Only: Click
here to go to the download page (NOTE: User name and Password
required) -
This document is designed to discuss "Best Practices" that
can be implemented by processors to reduce
pathogen contamination of refrigerated salad products. The guidelines
in this document provide guiding practices for processors to enhance
the quality and safety of refrigerated salad
products. Given that there are major gaps in our understanding of how
raw materials become contaminated, the
practices described in this document are the best information presently
available.
- 2008 RFA Technical Project - Part
2:The Evaluation of “Vegetable Treatments” in
Maintaining the Safety of Produce Used in Manufacturing (2008)
- 2009 RFA Technical
Resources Update - What has the RFA done for you lately? Click
here to view the 2009 Technical Resources Update as an HTML
page or click the following link to download PDF file of the
2009 Technical Resources Update Brochure:
(Note: This is a PDF file and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view)
- 2009 Technical Brochure
Click below to download past Technical Brochures:
- 2008 Technical Brochure
- 2007 Technical Brochure
- FDA Food Inspection Manual (2004)
- Comparison of the Efficacy of Various Treatments in Reducing
Bacterial Population and Pathogens on Celery (2000) -
Members-Only: Click
here to go to the download page (NOTE: User name and Password required)
- 1999 U.S. Cold Temperature Evaluation Case Study -
Available in the Members-Only Section - Members-Only: Click
here to go to the download page (NOTE: User name and Password
required)
UPDATED: EcoSure, the food safety & quality assurance division
of Ecolab, has updated the 1999 Audits International cold temperature
data base. The new data is available to download at http://foodrisk.org/exclusives/EcoSure/
- Control of Listeria Monocytogenes in Fresh Salad Products (University
of WI Study) (1993)
- Use of Effective Cleaning and Sanitizing to Combat Listeria
in the Refrigerated Foods Plant (2000)
- An Investigation into the Microbiological Status of Commercially
Prepared Salads (Protein Salads), Parts
I & II (1987, 1989)
- Factors to Be Considered in Establishing Good Manufacturing
Practices for the Production of Refrigerated Foods (1988)
- Article from Dairy and Food Sanitation, June 1988. Members-Only: Click
here to go to the download page (NOTE: User name and Password
required)
- The Study of Cabbage in the Salad Industry with Emphasis
on Problem Solving (1985)
- The Safety of Modified Atmosphere Packaging: A Review (1986)
- A Vision of Packaging into the Twenty First Century (This
is a one-page abstract of a presentation) (1997)
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TECHNICAL HOTLINE AND ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL
RESOURCES:
- Technical Hotline - Now with Email! -
Call or email RFA Technical Director Martin Mitchell directly to
get answers your technical questions and expert advice on food safety
and regulatory issues. Members-Only: Click
here for Technical Hotline number and Email address. (NOTE: User
name and Password required)
- Technical E-News - An email newsletter containing
the latest food safety and regulatory news affecting the industry.
Sent every other Friday. Members-Only: Click
here to view current and past
issues. (NOTE:
User name and Password required)
- Commodity Update Section - Read
the latest updates on commodities, including Plastics,
Soybean oil, Tuna fish, Potatoes and other
Imported Ingredients, on the new Commodity
Update page in the RFA Members-Only Section. Members-Only: Click
here to go directly to the Commodity
Update.
- Third-Party
Certification Systems: Can They Make Our Food Safer? (November 2009)
- Trends in Healthy Ingredients (July
2009)
- Effective and Safe Tempering Practices (May
2009)
- Effective Ways to Handle Consumer Complaints (March
2009)
- Best Practices for Good Cold Chain Management (November 2008)
- The Food Safety Side of Hot Processing (September 2008)
- Hurdle Technologies for Optimizing Food Safety
and Quality (May 2008)
- Lactic Acid Bacteria and their Applications
in Foods (February 2008)
- Surviving Audits and Understanding ISO
22000 (November 2007)
- Allergen Management (August 2007)
- The Role of Non-Chemical Microbial Interventions in Food
Safety (June
2007)
- New Chemicals for Cleaning,
Sanitation and Sterilization (January
2007)
- A Summation of Avian Influenza (Bird flu) – What
is it and Where is it potentially going (October 2006)
- Viruses and Food-Borne Illnesses (June 2006) - Audio
Recording Available
- Food Defense: Defending your Refrigerated Foods Business (April
2006) - Audio Recording Available
- Sustainability (February 2006)
- Novel Anti-Microbials (February 2005)
- New Labeling Regulations to Include Trans-Fat Labeling,
Low-Carb Labeling and the Impact of the New Allergen Regulations
on Labeling; FDA Response to the Obesity Crisis (December
2004)
- The Prevention and Control of Environmental Pathogens in
Food Processing Environments (July 2004)
- Plant &
Occupational Safety Handbook (1990)
- Refrigerated Foods Association Recall Manual (1997)
- IFT Report on Food Allergies and Other Food Sensitivities (2001)
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FDA/USDA and
OTHER FOOD SAFETY RESOURCES AND LINKS
- Global
food safety and quality certification programs:
GENERAL
RFA RESOURCES
- Handouts from past RFA Conference Presentations:
Members-Only: Click
here to download PowerPoint slides from the following presentations: (NOTE:
User name and Password
required)
- Technical
& Regulatory Update (2006)
- RFA Technical Project Presentation (2006)
- Allergens
- Bioterrorism Act and Security Guidelines
- The New and Old FDA: What’s the Same and What’s
Changed
- Member Perspective Panel: Coping with Plant Security
- Customer Perspective Panel: Current and Future Needs
from our Manufacturing Partners
- Handouts from past RFA Marketing Seminars and Symposiums
- Members-Only: Click
here to view
- RFA Newsletters - Archive of all past issues of the Chilled News
Review, containing technical news, marketing tips and industry updates
- Members-Only: Click
here to view
- Guerilla Marketing Workbook
- Motivating Employees Ideabook
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