Process Authority letters are written by a person deemed a “Process Authority"; someone with expert knowledge of thermal processing requirements for food. The Process Authority reviews all aspects of your manufacturing process to ensure  that food products are created following guidelines put in place by the FDA and USDA. 

A Process Authority works as a liaison between your production facility and the government to assure  the microbiological safety production of foods and beverages. Our professionals at Vanguard Laboratory will work with you to ensure your production process meet both FDA and USDA guidelines. 

If your product meets the definition of foods that fall under the FDA regulations for thermally processed low-acid canned foods (21 CRF 113) or acidified foods (21 CFR 114), then your process & process authority letter will need to be filed with the FDA.  In short, a low acid canned food is a product that is sterilized cooled and filled into pre-sterilized containers, followed by aseptic hermetical sealing, with a pre-sterilized closure, in an atmosphere free of microorganisms. An acidified food is a low acid food that has an acid added back, with an ending pH of below 4.6 and a water activity of 0.85 or above.

Contact us if you would like to begin submitting your processes for review with one of our chemistry or microbiology experts.