Cider

Agr 1003.02 Cider. (a) The following definitions apply to this section: (1) “Cider” means “cider” as defined in RSA 426:13, I, namely “the unfermented juice of apples;” (2) “Clean” means free from decay and foreign material; (3) “Commissioner” means “commissioner” as defined in RSA 426:13,II, namely, the “commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and food” or the commissioner’s authorized agent; (4) “Drop” means an apple that was in contact with the ground, storage cooler, or pressing room floor; (5) “Food grade” means a material permitted to come into direct contact with food meant for human consumption; (6) “Pasteurization” means processing cider via a manner proven to effectively reduce harmful microbial populations to a level that does not cause foodborne illness; (7) “Person” means “person” as defined in RSA 426:13, III, namely “any individual, firm, company, partnership, corporation, association, cooperative, business trust or legal entity of any kind;” (8) “Product code” means any distinctive combination of letters, numbers, or symbols from which the origin of the manufacture, processing, packing, holding, and distribution of a batch or lot of cider can be determined; (9) “Sanitize” means the cumulative heat or chemicals on cleaned food contact surfaces that, when evaluated for efficacy, is sufficient to yield a reduction of 5 logs, which is equal to a 99.999% reduction of representative disease microorganisms of public health importance; and (10) “Serious damage” means any defect that materially detracts from the edibility or market value of the cider. The term includes fermentation, distasteful foreign flavor, and disagreeable odor; (b) The following requirements shall be met for use of the seal of quality design on cider: (1) A producer of New Hampshire cider may use the state of New Hampshire seal of quality design after receiving a yearly permit from the department, and only while said yearly permit is active; and (2) Cider shall be produced, packaged and labeled in accordance with RSA 426:1-10, RSA 426:13-17, Agr 907, and Agr 1003; (c) Cider shall be pressed, squeezed, or extracted from clean apples; (d) Cider shall have the following characteristics: (1) It shall not be made from concentrate; and (2) It shall be free from serious damage; (e) Additional processing and packaging requirements for cider shall be as follows: (1) Cider processing shall be done in an enclosed building which shall be constructed and equipped as follows: a. The floors shall be constructed of easily cleanable materials and shall provide drainage; b. The walls and ceilings shall be constructed of easily cleanable materials; and c. Hot water at a temperature of 140 degrees F or higher or steam shall be available on the premises for cleaning equipment; (2) All apples shall be washed and brushed with potable water or water that has been treated with a substance or method that renders it safe for cleaning fruit prior to processing into cider; (3) Cider shall be filtered or screened through stainless steel mesh, filter paper, or other suitable material sufficient to remove coarse material and to minimize the presence of sediment; (4) Storage vessels used to store cider post manufacturing and prior to bottling shall be covered; (5) Retail containers shall be kept refrigerated at a temperature of 45 degrees F or set in ice; (6) Containerized cider shall: a. Be labeled with the statement, “Keep Refrigerated”; b. Not be labeled as being “fresh” unless it is raw, never been frozen, and contains no preservatives; and c. Be labeled with a product code, permanently placed on each container in such a manner that the code cannot be separated from the container, such as on the cap or tag tied to the container; (7) All cider containers and caps shall: a. Be food grade; b. Be new; c. Be clean and sanitary; d. Be stored prior to use in a manner that prevents contamination; and e. Not contain or be constructed of any substance which could damage the flavor of the cider; (8) The cap or other closing mechanism of any cider container shall be tamper evident, which means it would be readily apparent if it was previously opened; and (9) Containerized cider shall not be packed in or found to be in cracked, punctured, bulged, rusty, unsealed, or unsanitary containers; (f) Additional manufacturing requirements for cider shall be as follows: (1) All press racks shall be: a. Made of hardwood, food grade plastic, or stainless steel; b. Cleaned and sanitized each day of use; and c. Stored off the floor at all times; (2) Tubing used to transport pomace or cider shall be made of food grade material and shall be cleaned and sanitized each day of use; (3) All vessels used to store cider post manufacturing and prior to bottling shall be made of stainless steel or food grade plastic; (4) In no case shall material constructed of the following substances be used in storage or bottling of cider: a. Copper; b. Galvanized metal; c. Metal soldered with solder or flux containing more than 0.2 percent lead; and d. Any other substance which could cause serious damage; (g) Drop apples shall not be processed into cider; and (h) Cider may be blended with the natural juices derived from fruit other than apples if labeled according to RSA 426:14,IV. Source. #6734, eff 4-21-98 (from Agr 1002.02), EXPIRED: 4-21-06 New. #10952, eff 10-21-15; ss by #14554, eff 4-7-26, EXPIRES: 4-7-36