Pasteurization? Food safety?

[doctorcosmonaut]

Does a professional winery have to pasteurize at any stage? What are the laws/regulations? Do breweries, wineries, cideries, etc have food safety standards? I'm from Oregon, any specific to here?

 

[sour_grapes]

You know, the whole reason wine lasts as well as it does is that it is an environment not conducive to spoilage (low pH, high alcohol). There are SOME critters that can take it (e.g., acetobacter), but not too many.

But no, I do not know the answer to your specific, and quite reasonable, question. Are you thinking of opening a commercial winery?

 

[GreginND]

Well, no to pasteurization. Wine is never heated to pasteurization temperatures. That would not be good for the wine. Yes to regulations. The TTB has very specific regulations on what can be added to what kind of wine and how it is to be labeled, etc. etc. etc.

 

[reefman]

Post this question to the wine kit forum, some of the kit producers, I believe they heat their juices, before fermentation, but I don't know specifics.

 

[doctorcosmonaut]

So do wineries have any facility or functionality regulations? For e.g. having washable walls or certain types of sinks (like food manufacturers/restaurants)?

Or are wineries only regulated on that they have a license, label correctly, and their pay taxes (everything else having to do with the process has no set rules or codes)?

 

[reefman]

I can only speak for the area I live in, but I helped harvest grapes at a local winery last year, and got to see the whole operation, and I was so disgusted with conditions at the place that I don't drink their wine anymore. Even though the alcohol probably kills most of the bacteria, it just was not up to the standards at other wineries.

 

[GreginND]

The answer is not easy. The feds only care about the taxes. Health codes are usually set by state/county. So the degree of regulation varies from one place to another. Most places, I would presume, need to follow at least basic standards for food preparation within reason.

 

[mikep412]

Im new to alot of this but I started a small sausage company and I am a big home cured meat hobbist prosciutto salami etc. So I reseach alot of the codes and After a ph of 4.9 mostly all food born pathagons cannot survive in that environment. I think most wine making issue are with the level of additives that are added to the wine. Also with the fresh produce and care of the grapes from in the field to processed. In the meat business we have a haccp plan u may want to google wine haccp plans it can show you a flow chart of were the hazards are and how you control them. Alot is sanitation and temperature, but im sure growing your own grapes you would follow farming regulations too. Google wine haccp may help again this is just speculation im not expect at all. Lol