Partnering with Virginia Agencies: Assistance for Virginia Food-based Businesses

1. Partnering with Virginia Agencies: Assistance for Virginia Food-based Businesses Joell Eifert Department of Food Science and Technology May 22, 2008

2. THE SPECIALTY FOOD ADVISORY COMMITTEE • Created by VDACS Commissioner, Todd Haymore, in 2007 • Appointed 11 members, knowledgeable about specialty food issues in Virginia • Represent retailers • Specialty food producers • Food Science Department at Virginia Tech • Supplier side of the industry • Purpose - Advise VDACS on the marketing and promotion of Virginia’s specialty food industry • Annual educational conference with Virginia Food and Beverage Association – May 12-13, 2008 in Richmond • “In order to serve the needs of the specialty food industry, the Committee is inviting comments and questions from industry members regarding their issues, challenges they are facing and areas of concern particular in the area of marketing their products.”

3. Jane Riddick-Fries FERIDIES, Courtland, VA 757.653.2028 or jfries@feridies.com G. Willis Logan, President Virginia Wine of the Month Club, Standardsville, VA 434.985.2834 or wlogan@vawineclub.com Samuel W. Edwards, III, President S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, Inc., Surry, VA 757.294.3121 or sedwards@edwardsvaham.com Jeff Bateman Integrity Food Group, LLC, West Point, VA 804.843.9086 or jbateman@integrityfoodgroup.com Robert C. Williams, Assistant Professor Department of Food Science and Technology Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 540.231.4106 or rowilli3@vt.edu Peter Pruden, III, Co-owner Taste Unlimited, Virginia Beach, VA 757.425.3011 x28 or info@tasteunlimited.com Scott D. Stephens, Director of Sales Virginia Diner, Inc., Wakefield, VA 757.899.6213 or sstephens@vadiner.com Dave Ottaway Virginia Food and Beverage Association Goochland, VA 804.556.4611 or david@ottaways.org Jim Foster Alpak Container Corporation, Chesapeake, VA 757.485.3570 or jfoster@alpak.net Oliver Turner The Virginia Chutney Company Washington, VA 540.514.0857 or oliver@virginiachutney.com Rachel Graves Graves Mountain Lodge, Syria, VA 540.923.4231 or Rachel@gravesmountain.com Members of the SFAC:

4. Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS)www.vdacs.virginia.gov

5. Getting Help: VDACS Resources • Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) www.vdacs.virginia.gov • Office of Food Safety and Inspection • Assists in facility planning and layout • Authorizes facility for food processing • Enforces food regulations • Divisions include: • Dairy and Foods • Meat and Poultry • Consumer Affairs

6. Getting Help: VDACS Resources • Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) • Office of Marketing Services • Virginia’s Finest Trademark Program • Contact Cathy Belcher at cathy.belcher@vdacs.virginia.gov or call toll-free 800.284.9452 • Virginia Grown Program – direct marketing program for growers • Marketing Board News • Trade Event Notification • Grading Services • Connecting with Food Distributors

7. Getting Help: VDACS Resources • Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) • Office of Marketing Services • Organic Certified Programs • Contact Catherine Cash at Catherine.Cash@vdacs.virginia.gov or call 540/377-2564 • Good Agricultural & Good Handling Practices Verification • Contact Thomas Smith or Dennis Clary at 804.786.3548

8. Getting Help: VDACS Resources • Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) • Agribusiness Developmental Services agribusiness.vdacs@vdacs.virginia.gov • Finds location for business • Provide assistance with permitting and/or environmental issues • Help link to source of financial assistance • Promote regional cooperation to promote growth

9. Virginia Department of Health (VDH)www.vdh.virginia.gov

10. Helpful Resources: Virginia Department of Health • Virginia Department of Health • www.vdh.state.va.us • http://www.healthspace.ca/vdh (Food Safety) • Inspection of prepare and serve facilities • Caterers • Delis • Restaurants • Cafeterias

11. Helpful Resources: Federal Regulatory Agencies • U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA) • www.fda.gov • All products sold outside of Virginia with more than 2% cooked meat • Food and Drug Administration (FDA) • www.fda.gov • Acidified and low-acid food product regulation • Products subject to inter-state commerce • Web site provides regulatory help and labeling help

12. Getting Help: Business Resources • VA Department of Business Assistance • Mission: promote economic growth by helping Virginia businesses prosper • Accessing capital • Small business counseling • Workforce training • Business problem solving • www.dba.virginia.gov • www.business.virginia.gov

13. Getting Help: Business Resources • Virginia Small Business Development Centers Network www.virginiasbdc.org • Provides professional business counseling, training and information resources to help grow and strengthen Virginia businesses • in 20056, over 4,500 business owners and managers received one-on-one counseling and more than 9,200 attended a training program • 29 locations across Virginia • Most extensive business development program in Virginia

14. Helpful Resources: Business • SCORE • Nonprofit association provides NO-COST counseling to help start-up a new business, secure financing or operate, manage and/or expand an existing business • Utilize retire business professionals • 10 SCORE units in Virginia/1 in District of Columbia • www.score.org

15. Helpful Resources • Virginia Tech Business Technology Center • Dick Daugherty, director • Provides confidential strategic planning and business development assistance • Helps with market analysis, business expansion plans at lower than market cost • Provide free information if business plan is used as student learning case btc@vt.edu; telephone: (540)443-9290

16. Helpful Resources: Virginia Cooperative Extension • Virginia Cooperative Extension • www.ext.vt.edu • Connects local community with state university system • We need your help! • Identify new clients • Answer preliminary questions to start them on the right foot • Give them meaningful direction through extension publications and web site referral

17. Questions to Ask Before Starting: Do I understand the basic marketing aspects of my product? • Product Features • Target Audience • Competition • Demand • Price of Product • Cost of Manufacturing of Product (facility, utilities, ingredients, packaging, licensing and governmental fees) • Other Indirect Costs (advertising, phones, postage, transportation, insurance)

18. Questions to Ask Before Starting: Am I ready to start a food business? • Personal Characteristics • Business Plan • Time Commitment • Contacts and Assistance • Financial Status and Resources • Labor Pool and Costs Many of these questions in the last two slides are asked and investigated in Starting a Food Processing Business in Virginia (Publication Number 348-963, Posted June 2001)

19. Virginia Tech Department of Food Science and Technology www.fst.vt.edu • Provide testing of food products for safety and quality • Provide technical guidance on safety and regulatory issues governing food products • Conduct Better Process Control School workshops necessary for acidified food producers • Provide guidance on reformulation and product design • Assist with compliance with regulatory agencies www.fst.vt.edu/extension/valueadded

20. What are you looking for when you test my food?

21. What Bacteria Need to Grow • Food • Acidity • Temperature • Time • Oxygen • Moisture FIGHT BAC!

22. What Bacteria Need to Grow • Food • Acidity • pH = Amount of acidity • Low acid food = pH > 4.6 • Temperature • Time • Oxygen • Moisture

23. What Bacteria Need to Grow • Food • Acidity • Temperature • Danger zone = 41°F to 135°F • Time • Oxygen • Moisture

24. What Bacteria Need to Grow • Food • Acidity • Temperature • Time • Oxygen • Moisture aw target = 0.85

25. What else can the Food Processor Technical Assistance Program do for me?

26. Assist in Approval of Food Processes and Facilities • Act as Processing Authority for Process Approval • Help with local zoning ordinances • Will my locality allow a food business in my home? • Is my home in a zoning area allowing for a business? • Relocate? • Help with process approval with Virginia Department of Agriculture or Virginia Department of Health • Process flow diagram • Product formulation • Help find water testing lab if on private water supply

27. Process Authority • Based on regulations, a person or institution with expert knowledge and experience to make determinations about the safety of a food process and formulation. • Required to maintain product confidentiality • Determines safety of processing parameters based on food product characteristics • Required for both low acid and acidified foods

28. Canned Foods • Major issue: Botulism • Low acid food: • pH >4.6 • aw> 0.85 • Not refrigerated • Acidified Food • pH is decreased to <4.6 by adding acid • Provide process authority letter for acidified food required by VDACS and FDA

29. Acidified Foods • Low-acid foods to which acid(s) or acid food(s) are added • Water activity (aw) greater than 0.85 • Finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below • Not Acidified Foods • Acid foods (foods made with mostly acidic ingredients) • Fermented foods (will check if fermentation process is adequate) • Repacked acidified or fermented foods • Carbonated beverages • Jams, jellies or preserves • Product with a water activity below 0.85 • Refrigerated or frozen foods

30. Potentially Hazardous Food • A food that requires time/temperature control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation • Examples: • Raw or cooked meat • Garlic-in-oil mixtures • Cooked vegetables • Cut melons • Milk

31. Preparing Product/Standardizing Recipes • Multiplying ingredients to make larger batch may not work • Convert all ingredients to weight measurement • Weigh on your own – best practice • www.gourmetsleuth.com has calculator • Multiply to get desired batch size • Experimental additions or subtractions may be necessary • Jams and jellies notoriously do not “scale-up” • Experiment with cost cutting measures before standardization if possible

32. Preparing Product/Standardizing Recipes • Understand that brand substitution of ingredients may greatly affect product including flavor, shelf-life stability and safety parameters • After standardizing recipe, make product multiple times to determine repeatability • Streamline work station to develop most effective way of producing product using most effective equipment • Take meticulous notes at every step

33. Nutritional Labeling • Label can be generated by testing product ($$$) or by utilizing nutritional data bases ($) • Producer responsible for content • Software available for purchase by processor • Virginia Tech Food Processor Technical Assistance Program provides nutritional facts panel through computer generated data base for no charge

34. Questions?