Food Processing: Australia - NASAA

  • Routine use of veterinary drugs is not permitted (eg. dry cow treatment for mastitis).
  • In the event of use of veterinary drugs, quarantine of animals and milk is necessary and provision of a test bucket must be made to maintain separation of any conventional milkfor 6 months before being acceptable again as organic.   
  • Quarantine procedures must be observed in the case of use of veterinary drugs.

PROCESSING OF ORGANIC FOOD AND FIBRE
The following are approved for processing and preparation methods:

  • Mechanical and physical
  • Biological processes such as fermentation
  • Extraction
  • Precipitation
  • Filtration
  • The use of genetically modified organisms for the processing of organic and bio-dynamicproducts or their derivatives is prohibited including food additives or processing aids.
  • Irradiation is not permitted.
  • The use of nanotechnology is prohibited.
  • Filtration techniques that chemically react with or modify organic food on a molecular basis are restricted to mechanical filtration. Filtration equipment shall not contain asbestos, or utilise techniques or substances that may negatively affect the product.

JUICES
The following post production practices are approved for juice production:

  • Water and steam-cleaned plant and equipment
  • Food grade anti-microbial rinses are acceptable but must be thoroughly rinsed with boiled or pasteurised water prior to contact with organic foods
  • Pasteurisation of juices prior to bottling
  • Citric acid and ascorbic acid E300 used as preservatives
  • Centrifugation, muslin, diatomaceous earth or polysheet straining to remove unwanted residues
  • Certified organic sugar
  • Tetra paks

The following post production practices are prohibited for juice production:

  • Conventional sugar additions
  • Colouring agents and antioxidants 

CANNING
The following post production practices are approved for juice production:

  • Lined metal cans are acceptable
  • Lead content in solder provided that the food pH is between 6.7 and 7.3
  • 95% tin solder and cadmium free food grade solder  

The following post production practices are prohibited for juice production:

  • Aluminium lead bearing solder where lead content is over 5%

JAMS, CHUTNEYS, SAUCES & PICKLES
Approved post production practices:

  • Physical preparations (boiling, straining, evaporation to thicken etc)
  • Natural pectins, gelatine, corn flour and approved vegetable gums for thickening provided they do not contain or are derived from GMOs

Prohibited post production practices:

  • Sulphur based preservatives
  • Copper, Teflon-coated and aluminium cooking utensils

DAIRY PRODUCTS
Approved post-production practices:

  • Use of anti-bacterial rinses providing that all traces are flushed from contactsurfaces with pasteurised or sterilised water  
  • Hydrogen peroxide or biodegradable compounds
  • Transport of certified milk in stainless steel containers after collection
  • Use of bacterial and enzyme preparations excluding genetically engineered strains
  • Pasteurisation (heat treatment, high speed and vat)
  • Separation and physical filtration methods
  • Preparation of milk products (cooling, churning, culturing, ripening and cooking)
  • Vacuum packing with or without nitrogen or C0
  • Bottling of milk in glass, recyclable non-polymerising plastics and food grade waxed cardboard
  • Packaging of cheeses in wax or cloth after brine washing
  • Ultra Heat Treated (UHT)

Prohibited post production practices:

  • Preservatives, thickeners and emulsifiers (eg. potassium sorbate)
  • Genetically manipulated enzyme and bacterial cultures

COFFEE
The following practices are required for coffee production and manufacture:

  • Sun or artificial drying of beans preferably using waste husks to fire the furnaces.
  • Nocontamination from fuel burning of beans shall occur

The following practices are prohibited for coffee production and manufacture:

  • Fumigation of coffee with methyl bromide prior to export
  • Mixing or blending of organic and conventional coffees
  • Use of any synthetic fungicides or pesticides in organic coffee storage

TEA
The following practices are approved for tea production and manufacture:

  • Packing in poly bags or tea chests internally lined with plywood
  • Use of recycled paper material for tea bag manufacture
  • The provision of dust masks to factory workers to prevent tea dust inhalation

WINE

  • Fermentation with naturally occurring yeasts on fruit and non-genetically modified yeasts
  • Fining with bentonite, diatomaceous earth, food grade gelatine, casein and physical processes such as chilling
  • Maturation and storage in food grade inert materials, including new barrels, dedicated organic barrels or barrels that have been cleaned to remove interior residues under cover of an inert gas such as nitrogen

The following products and practices are prohibited for wine production andmanufacture:

  • GMO’s and their products including processing aids and additives
  • Ion exchange processes for stabilisation
  • Use of lead capsules
  • Copper sulphate
  • Asbestos wicks
  • Blending with non-organic wines at any percentage
  • Erythorbic Acid
  • Ammonium phosphate

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