Information for Juice Processors
All juice processors in California must obtain a Processed Food Registration (PFR) from the California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch (links to the applications are provided below).
“Processing" means activities that are directly related to the production of juice products. [Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 120.3(j)].
“Processor" is defined as any person engaged in commercial, custom, or institutional processing of juice products, either in the United States or in a foreign country, including any person engaged in the processing of juice products that are intended for use in market or consumer tests [21 CFR 120.3(k)]. “Juice" is defined as the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables, purees of the edible portions of one or more fruits or vegetables, or any concentrates of such liquid or puree [21 CFR 120.1(a)].
All processed juice sold as juice or for use as an ingredient in other beverages is subject to the requirements of the Juice HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) regulation (21 CFR 120). HACCP is a systematic approach to the identification, evaluation, and control of food safety hazards.
All juice processors subject to the Juice HACCP regulation are required to prepare a written hazard analysis of their juice products (21 CFR 120.7). The hazard analysis is prepared by collecting and evaluating information on hazards associated with the food under consideration to decide which hazards are significant and therefore must be addressed in the HACCP plan.
To meet the requirements of the Juice HACCP regulation, processors of juice products must operate under a HACCP plan that identifies food hazards that are reasonable likely to occur and control measures to ensure the safety of the juice. The regulation requires that juice processors include steps in their HACCP plans to achieve, at a minimum, a 5-log reduction in the pertinent microorganism, for a period equivalent to at least as long as the shelf life of the product when stored under normal and moderate abuse conditions (21 CFR 120.24).
It is important to note that processing products intentionally inoculated with pathogenic microorganisms in food processing equipment also used to process commercially sold products is a high food safety risk and is thus strongly discouraged.
Information for Retail Establishments Producing Juice
“Retail" means the storing, preparing, serving, manufacturing, packaging, transporting, salvaging, or otherwise handling food for dispensing or sale directly to the consumer or indirectly through a delivery service (California Health and Safety Code 113895). Retail establishments that qualify for and receive a retail permit may be considered exempt from the Juice HACCP regulations. Packaged juice produced at an exempt retail establishment is still subject to the California Health and Safety Code known as the California Retail Food Code (California Health and Safety Code, sections 113700-114437) as well as the food labeling regulations found in 21 CFR Part 101.17(g), which require a warning statement on fruit and vegetable juice products that have not been processed to prevent, reduce, or eliminate pathogenic microorganisms.
If you are unsure if you are a retail establishment in need of a retail permit or a juice processor in need of a PFR, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information. Alternately, if you are a retail establishment and have questions about producing juice, please contact the FDB Retail Food Program directly at FDBRetail@cdph.ca.gov.