February 2020 - 6

CIDER
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for further processing. " They may qualify
for a processing exemption if they are
accompanied by a disclosure statement.
" If you are ground-harvesting fruit
that will be used for fermentation, you
should have documentation that states
this fruit is not processed to adequately
reduce the presence of microorganisms
of public health significance,' " Ewing
Valliere said. " This helps reduce your
liability in this situation because you
are making it very clear that you have
done no processing steps to reduce the
presence of microorganisms. "
" One thing you do have to do if
you're selling this fruit to a cider maker
who will process it, you have to receive
written assurances from the processor
that they will take the responsibility
to reduce the microorganisms, " Ewing
Valliere said. " If you are a grower, these
are really good things to take note of. "
Although apples are clearly defined as
covered, non-excluded produce under
21 CFR Part 112 of the Produce Rule,
the concern of using ground-harvested
apples to produce alcoholic cider may be
minimized by the use of several orchard
management and food processing
strategies, she said.
" For growers selling dropped apples,
exclusion of potential contaminants and
careful documentation of the groundharvested
produce is paramount, " she
Ground-harvested apples can be used for cider production only if proper care and
documentation takes place.
said. " For cider producers, incorporation
of validated processing steps, if not
already in place, will ensure that written
assurances can be provided to growers
supplying dropped cider apples. "
Ewing Valliere stressed that food safety
is of utmost importance for any food
or beverage producer. As an industry,
cider apple growers and cider producers
should commit to best practices to
prevent illness, comply with regulations,
build and maintain trustful relationships
with consumers, and sustain economic
growth, she said.
The Produce Safety Rule states that
fruit that has unintentionally come in
QUALITY PRUNING
EQUIPMENT
contact with the ground may not be
used for human consumption unless
there have been sufficient processing
steps to reduce the risk of human
pathogens in the final food product.
Cider apples destined for hard cider
production in many regions have
traditionally been harvested at full
ripeness when the fruit naturally drops
or is easily shaken off the tree.
Although apples in the United States
are typically hand-harvested before full
ripeness to allow for long-term storage of
fresh market apples, it is not uncommon
in other countries to allow fruit destined
for cider production to fully ripen on the
tree. Once fruit is fully ripe, it will drop
naturally or by mechanically shaking
the tree to encourage fruit drops. The
fruit is then mechanically swept up and
collected for processing.
Because of high labor costs and
workforce shortages, this ''shake and
sweep'' method is advantageous and
may also result in cost savings compared
with hand-harvesting. Despite these
advantages, there are some important
tradeoffs to consider. Because of the
bruising and damage that occurs when
Recommendations
for apple growers
* Evaluate the orchard floor for
fecal contamination or potential
risks of fecal contamination (i.e.,
wildlife, domestic animals).
* Limit manure applications
and maximize windows of
time between applications and
harvest.
* Train workers to follow
appropriate hygiene procedures.
* Maintain clean, working
equipment.
* Minimize fruit damage and time
that fruit is in contact with the
ground.
* Segregate ground-harvested
produce from fresh market
produce.
* Provide documentation that
states the fruit is " not processed
to adequately reduce the
presence of microorganisms of
public health significance. "
* Obtain written assurances from
the processor.
fruit is shaken and allowed to drop
from the tree, fruit must be processed
immediately, as it will rot more rapidly.
Fruit contact with the orchard floor
may raise pathogen-related concerns due
to potential contact with contaminated
water, animal feces, untreated manure,
soil, or airborne contaminants. Although
there are inherent risks in any fresh
produce operation, several pathogens
have been reported in apple juice and
sweet (nonalcoholic) cider
" It is possible for growers to harvest
apples for cider production from
the ground, but both growers and
cidermakers must understand how
to best address food safety concerns
and ensure that the process adopted
for cider manufacture reduces or
eliminates pathogen contamination, "
Ewing Valliere said. FGN
CopenHaven Farms Nursery
Quality Oregon-Grown
Rootstock & Seedlings
For Fruit Trees.
Since 1982,
Specializing in
Virus-Free Apple,
Cherry, Plum and
Pear Rootstock.
email:
800.452.6748
sales@peachridge.com | www.peachridge.com
6 | FruitGrowersNews.com
info@copenhavenfarms.com
12990 SW Copenhaven Road
Gaston, OR 97119
www.copenhavenfarms.com
503-985-7161
FAX 503-985-7876
http://www.copenhavenfarms.com http://www.peachridge.com http://www.FruitGrowersNews.com
February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2020
