extraneous matter & filth analysis

EXTRANEOUS MATTER ANALYSIS

Market Survey: TOMATO PRODUCTS

Would you cut up a rotten tomato and place it into a salad that you prepared for your guests? Would you even buy rotten tomatoes? How do you know if they are rotten? The answers to these questions are very obvious. It is easy to separate the rotten tomatoes from the healthy ripe ones. The rot is caused by mold formation.

But, what if you blend the rotten tomatoes into a juice with other vegetables and seasonings? How would you know? Would you get an allergenic reaction from the mold?

This is the concern that our Market Survey examines this month. The USDA-FDA uses a test called the Howard Mold Count. It is a microscopic examination of a set number of "fields" for the presence of mold cells. If there is mold in the field, it is positive for mold.

The regulations are written as % positive fields. For example, the action level for Canned Tomatoes is "Average mold count in 6 subsamples is more that 15% and the mold counts of all of the subsamples are more that 12%."

Results: Tomato Juice
Six samples of juice were analyzed. Four different brand names are represented. Two of the samples are blended juices. One sample was the small "lunch" pack size.

	Sample	Howard Mold Count
	Tomato Juice	16%
	Tomato Juice	6%
	Tomato Juice	18%
	Tomato Juice	20%
	Blended Juice	12%
	Blended Juice	8%
DAL: Average mold count of 6 subsamples is 24% or more and the mold counts of all of the subsamples are more than 20%. One sample tested is near the DAL.
Results: Ketchup Six samples representing different brand names of Ketchup were tested. Two samples represent fast foods establishments. One Organic brand is represented.
	Sample	Howard Mold Count
	Ketchup	14%
	Ketchup	38%
	Ketchup	18%
	Ketchup (Organic)	14%
	Ketchup (fast-food, bulk)	20%
	Ketchup (fast-food, packets)	24%
DAL: Average mold count in 6 subsamples is 55% or more. All brands are well within FDA regulations.
Results: Sauce (Tomato Base) Four brands representing four different types of sauces were tested.
	Sample	Howard Mold Count
	Chili	10%
	Taco	14%
	Steak	14%
	BBQ	8%
DAL: Average mold count in 6 subsamples is more than 34% and the counts of all of the subsamples are more than 30%. All brands are well within FDA regulations.
Comments: The FDA regulations have remained the same for more than 40 years. The sanitation and technical advances for processing tomatoes into tomato paste have greatly improved over the last 40 years. Tomato paste is produced at harvest and the paste is then sold to other processors. In turn the paste becomes the raw material for the production of tomato puree. The puree then becomes an ingredient for tomato products such as soups, juices, sauces, etc. The Defect Action Level allows a certain amount of moldy tomatoes to be used in the production of tomato products. Quality food processors must demand (and test) their raw materials to make certain that the finest available ingredients are used in their consumer products.
For a complete list of the FDA's Defect Action Levels for food products, please visit FDA-CFSAN Defect Action Level Handbook. Send comments to

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