410 IAC 7-26-97 "Reduced oxygen packaging" defined

Sec. 97. (a) "Reduced oxygen packaging" means: (1) the reduction of the amount of oxygen in a package by: (A) removing oxygen; (B) displacing oxygen and replacing it with another gas or combination of gases; or (C) otherwise controlling the oxygen content to a level below that normally found in the atmosphere (approximately twenty-one percent (21%) at sea level); and (2) a process as specified in subdivision (1) that involves a food for which the hazards Clostridium botulinum or Listeria monocytogenes require control in the final packaged form. (b) The term includes any of the following: (1) Vacuum packaging, in which air is removed from a package of food and the package is hermetically sealed so that a vacuum remains inside the package. (2) Modified atmosphere packaging, in which the atmosphere of a package of food is modified so that its composition is different from air, but the atmosphere may change over time due to the permeability of the packaging material or the respiration of the food. Modified atmosphere packaging includes: (A) reduction in the proportion of oxygen; (B) total replacement of oxygen; or (C) an increase in the proportion of other gases, such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen. (3) Controlled atmosphere packaging, in which the atmosphere of a package of food is modified so that until the package is opened, its composition is different from air, and continuous control of that atmosphere is maintained, such as by using oxygen scavengers, or a combination of total replacement of oxygen, nonrespiring food, and impermeable packaging material. (4) Cook chill packaging, in which cooked food is hot filled into impermeable bags that are then sealed or crimped closed. The bagged food is rapidly chilled and refrigerated at temperatures that inhibit the growth of psychrotrophic pathogens. (5) Sous vide packaging, in which raw or partially cooked food is vacuum packaged in an impermeable bag, cooked in the bag, rapidly chilled, and refrigerated at temperatures that inhibit the growth of psychrotrophic pathogens.