Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts

Module 11. Legal standards, microbial sspects of ice cream and safety aspects

Lesson 30
LEGAL STANDARDS, MICROBIOLOGICAL AND SAFETY ASPECTS OF ICE CREAM

30.1 Introduction

Food poisoning is defined as an illness caused by the consumption of food or water contaminated with bacteria and / or their toxins, parasites, virus, or chemicals. Food poisoning outbreaks may be broadly discussed under two periodical heads:-

I. Historical outbreaks

II. Recent outbreaks.

30.2 Historical Disease Outbreaks

In UK there were several outbreaks of food poisoning before the II^nd World war, as there was no heat treatment requirement at that time. Consumption of ice cream was a major cause for two historical outbreaks of one in the year 1945 and another in1947.

In 1945, the food poisoning outbreak was due to Staphylococcus spp. which were introduced into batches of ice cream mix after the ingredients have been cooked. The mix was allowed to cool slowly overnight and was frozen 26-30hrs later. Around 700 peoples were affected by astaphylococcal toxin, which developed during the period.

In 1947, a major outbreak of typhoid fever occurred during the summer of 1947 in Aberystwyth, soon after ice cream manufacture was allowed again after several years of being prohibited during the war. About 210 cases were reported,including 4 deaths, and ice cream from one particular source appeared to be the common factor. Investigation revealed that the source of pathogen (Salmonella typhi) in ice cream was urine.

Other food poisoning cases reported were a paratyphoid incident at a North Devon holiday resort, which had its source from S.paratyphi on the hands of the ice cream vendor and his wife. A case of Shigella poisoning characterized by dysentery in a child who had consumed ice cream licked by monkey in a pet corner of a store. Shigella was isolated from the stool samples of the ill child.

Between 1950 & 1955, there were 11 outbreaks of food borne disease in UK due to consumption of ice cream and ice lollies involving Salmonellae, two including Staphylococci and mix of unknown cause.

Since 1955, only few outbreaks were reported from ice cream and it is certainly due to the fact that the heat treatment regulations introduced in 1947, became effective from 1950.

30.3 Recent Disease Outbreaks

In the last 3 decades most serious outbreaks of food – borne infections from ice cream were due to Salmonella Enteritidis in US.

Table 30.1 Outbreaks of food borne disease caused by the consumption of ice cream

Epidemiologist from the Minnesota Department of Health calculated that 29,100 Minnesotans became ill after eating ice cream and up to approximately 224,000 people in US were infected. Investigations revealed that the cross contamination of a pasteurized ice cream premix occurred during transport in tanker trailor that had previously handled non pasteurized liquid eggs containing S. enteritidis.

Two out of 20 outbreaks associated with the consumption of milk & dairy product between 1992 & 1996 in England & Wales were associated with ice cream. S. enteritidis was the cause in both the cases.

A sporadic case of listeriosis has been reported in Belgium.

30.4 Legal Standards

30.4.1 FSSA standards

30.4.1.1 Dairy based desserts/confections

30.4.1.1.1 Ice Cream, Kulfi, Chocolate Ice Cream or Softy Ice Cream (hereafter referred to as the said product) means the product obtained by freezing a pasteurized mix prepared from milk and /or other products derived from milk with or without the addition of nutritive sweetening agents, fruit and fruit products, eggs and egg products, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, condiments, spices, ginger and nuts and it may also contain bakery products such as cake or cookies as a separate layer and/or coating. The said product may be frozen hard or frozen to a soft consistency; the said product shall have pleasant taste and smell free from off flavour and rancidity; the said product may contain food additives permitted in these regulation including Appendix A; the said product shall conform to the microbiological requirements specified in Appendix B; the said product shall conform to the following requirements, namely:—

Table 30.2 Standards for ice cream, kulfi, chocolate ice cream or spfty ice cream

Note:In case where Chocolate, Cake or similar food coating, base or layer forms a separate part of the product only the Ice Cream portion shall conform to the requirements given above. The type of ice-cream shall be clearly indicated on the label otherwise standard for ice-cream shall apply.

30.4.1.1.2 Dried Ice Cream Mix/ Dried Frozen Dessert/ Confection (hereafter referred to as the said product) means the product in a powder form which on addition of prescribed amount of water shall give a product conforming to the requirements of the respective products, namely - ice cream, medium fat ice-cream, low fat ice-cream as prescribed under regulation 2.1.7 (1) and frozen confection, medium fat frozen confection and low fat frozen confection as prescribed under regulation 2.1.7 (3) of these regulations except the requirement of weight/volume for both the products. The moisture content of the product shall not be more than 4.0 percent. It may contain food additives permitted in these regulation including Appendix A. It shall conform to the microbiological requirements prescribed in Appendix B.

30.4.1.1.2.1 Frozen Dessert / Frozen Confection (hereafter referred to as the said product) means the product obtained by freezing a pasteurized mix prepared with milk fat and / or edible vegetable oils and fat having a melting point of not more than 37.0 degree C in combination and milk protein alone or in combination / or vegetable protein products singly or in combination with the addition of nutritive sweetening agents e.g. sugar, dextrose, fructose, liquid glucose, dried liquid glucose, maltodextrin, high maltose corn syrup, honey, fruit and fruit products, eggs and egg products coffee, cocoa, chocolate, condiments, spices, ginger, and nuts. The said product may also contain bakery products such as cake or cookies as a separate layer/or coating, it may be frozen hard or frozen to a soft consistency. It shall have pleasant taste and flavour free from off flavour and rancidity and may contain food additives permitted in Appendix A. It shall conform to the microbiological requirements prescribed in Appendix B. It shall conform to the following requirements:—

Table 30.3 Standards for Frozen Desserts/Frozen Confection

Note: In case where Chocolate, Cake or similar food coating, base or layer forms a separate part of the product only the frozen dessert/ confection portion shall conform to the requirements given above. The type of frozen confection shall be clearly indicated on the label otherwise, standards of frozen dessert / frozen confection shall apply and every package of Frozen Dessert / Frozen Confection shall bear proper label declaration under regulation 2.4.5 (41) of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, 2011.

30.4.1.1.3 Milk Ice or Milk Lolly (here after referred to as the said product) means the product obtained by freezing a pasteurized mix prepared from milk and/or other products derived from milk with or without the addition of nutritive sweetening agents, fruit and fruit products, eggs and egg products, coffee, cocoa, chocolate,condiments, spices, ginger and nuts; the said product may also contain bakery products such as cake or cookies as a separate layer and/or coating; the said product shall have pleasant taste and smell free from off flavour and rancidity. It may contain food additives permitted in Appendix A; the said product shall conform to the microbiological requirements prescribed in Appendix B; the said product shall also conform to the following requirements,namely :

(1) Total solids (m/m) Not less than 20.0 percent

(2) Milk Fat (m/m) Not more than 2.0 percent

(3) Milk Protein (Nx6.38) Not less than 3.5 percent

30.4.1.2 Ice Lollies or Edible Ices

30.4.1.2.1 "ICE LOLLIES OR EDIBLE ICES" means the frozen ice produce which may contain sugar, syrup, fruit, fruit juices, cocoa, citric acid, permitted flavours and colours. It may also contain permitted stabilizers and/or emulsifiers not exceeding 0.5 per cent by weight. It shall not contain any artificial sweetener.

Ice Candy means the product obtained by freezing a pasteurized mix prepared from a mixture of water, nutritive sweeteners e.g. sugar, dextrose,liquid glucose, dried liquid glucose, honey, fruits and fruit products, coffee,cocoa, ginger, nuts and salt. The product may contain food additives permitted in these Regulations and Appendices. It shall conform to the microbiological requirements prescribed in Appendix B. It shall conform to the following requirement: — Total sugars expressed as Sucrose ... Not less than 10.0 percent.

APPENDIX A

Table 30.4 List of food additives for use in ice cream & frozen desserts

APPENDIX B

Table 30.5 Microbiological parameters for ice cream mix, ice cream, frozen desserts, milk lolly, ice candy milk products

m = Represents an acceptablelevel and values above it are marginally acceptable in terms of the sampling plan.

M = A microbiological criterion which separates marginally acceptable quality from unsatisfactory/potentially hazardous quality. Values above M are unacceptable in terms of the sampling plan and detection of one or more samples exceeding this level would be cause for rejection of the lot.

Table 30.6 BIS requirements for ice cream (BIS:2802-1964)

B. Kulfi (BIS:10501-1983)

• Kulfi means the frozen product obtained from cow or buffalo milk or a combination thereof or from any other milk products with or without the addition of cane sugar, dextrose, liquid glucose and dried liquid glucose, eggs, fruits, fruit Juices, preserved fruits, nuts, chocolates, edible flavours and permitted food colours.
  

• Odour and flavours: The product shall have a pleasant agreeable aroma and taste.

• Texture and appearance: The product shall be attractive In appearance, uniform In consistency free from big sized ice-crystals and coagulated milk particles.

• Free from dirt: The product shall be free from dirt and such other foreign materials.
  

No fat other than milk fat shall be present in the product with the exception

of that derived from eggs,cocoa, nuts and emulsifiers.

Table 30.7 BIS requirements for kulfi (BIS: 10501-1983)