Wine and Grape Conference Basics of new food regs explained


Consolidated statutes will help improve the certification process for export products.


By Susan McIver N


ew food safety regulations will not only have an impact on food manufacturers and importers, but also on wine producers, including wineries, custom-crush and mobile bottling operations.


Karine Lawrence told participants at a workshop during the Enology and Viticulture conference in Penticton the basics of what they need to know about the upcoming regulations.


Lawrence operates Sirocco Food and Wine Consulting in Kelowna, which specializes in technical consulting services focused on scientific and statistical evaluations.


B.C. wineries, especially those involved with interprovincial and international trade, need to be aware of the regulatory requirements set out by the Safe Food for Canadians Act, which received royal assent in late 2012. The global trends of long, complex supply chains and global competition underlie the need for the SFCA and the Food Safety Modernization Act in the U.S., Lawrence explained. The SFCA consolidates existing statutes which will result in greater consistency in industry requirements. The legislation also assists producers by giving the Canadian Food Inspection Agency the authority to certify all food commodities for export.


“Official certification is increasingly being demanded by trading partners, notably the United States,” Lawrence said.


Although contaminated produce and meat products causing intestinal illness are the most common food safety issues, some concerns do exist for wine. “Glass in the bottle is the number one safety problem for wineries, followed by exploding bottles caused by refermentation of unstable wine and glycol contamination from cooling systems,” Lawrence said.


Other safety issues in wine include carcinogenic mould and fining agents


British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Fall 2015 15 SUSAN MCIVER


Karine Lawrence, of Sirocco Food and Wine Consulting.


that may contain allergens. “Know the source of your grapes and the producer. Be mindful of the possibility of pesticide residue on grapes.”


In fact, traceability, the ability to follow an agri-food through specified stages of production, processing and distribution, is a cornerstone of the SFCA.


With wine, the traceability process can be as specific as being able to link the source of oak chips to a particular batch of wine.


Lawrence recommended that winery owners who may be uncertain about where to start in improving food safety investigate the Post-Farm Food Safety Program. It encourages agri-businesses to adopt Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety assurance systems in their operations. HACCP requires good manufacturing processes, a hazard analysis, an internal auditor and recall system. Good manufacturing processes are those practices required to conform to the guidelines recommended by the regulatory agency.


It makes sense for some processors, such as small wineries, to become HACCP compliant rather than HACCP certified. Lawrence explained. There is, of course, a cost to wineries such as 10 per cent for training of employees and 50 percent for equipment purchase. “Another expense you will incur is the use of your employees’ time.”


There is a bright side, however, because employees can be trained to develop and implement the HACCP system with funding from the PFFS Program.


The program also offers up to $20,000 for equipment purchase, sanitation and laboratory needs for eligible business operations. For more information visit www.postfarmfoodsafety.ca


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