Alaska Admin. Code tit. 18, § 31.985 – Potentially Hazardous Food

(a) For purposes of this chapter, a food is a potentially hazardous food if it requires time or temperature control for safety to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation.
(b) Potentially hazardous food includes
1. (1) a food of animal origin that is raw or heat-treated, a food of plant origin that is heat-treated or consists of raw seed sprouts, cut melons, or garlic-in-oil mixtures that are not modified in a way that results in mixtures that do not support pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation; and
2. (2) except for a food for which the department has granted a variance under 18 AAC 31.930, a food that, because of the interaction of its water activity and pH values, is designated as PA in Table L or M of this section.
3. (c) Potentially hazardous food does not include
  1. (1) a hard-boiled egg with shell intact that has been air-cooled, or an egg with shell intact that is not hard-boiled, but has been pasteurized to destroy all viable Salmonellae;
  2. (2) food in an unopened hermetically sealed container that is commercially processed to achieve and maintain commercial sterility under conditions of non-refrigerated storage and distribution;
  3. (3) food that, because of its pH or water activity value, or interaction of water activity and pH values, is designated as a non-potentially hazardous food in Table L or M of this section; or
  4. (4) food that is designated as PA in Table L or M of this section, if the department has granted a variance under 18 AAC 31.930.
TABLE L
INTERACTION OF pH AND WATER ACTIVITY FOR
CONTROL OF SPORES IN FOOD HEAT-TREATED TO
DESTROY VEGETATIVE CELLS AND SUBSEQUENTLY
PACKAGED
WATER ACTIVITY
VALUES pH VALUES
4.6 or less greater than 4.6
and no greater
than 5.6
greater than 5.6 0.92 or less
non-PHF*
non-PHF*
non-PHF*
greater than 0.92
and no greater than
0.95
non-PHF* non-PHF* PA** greater than 0.95
non-PHF*
PA**
PA**
*non-PHF means non-potentially hazardous food **PA means a variance granted under 18 AAC 31.930 is required to consider the
food non-PHF
TABLE M
INTERACTION OF pH AND WATER ACTIVITY FOR
CONTROL OF VEGETATIVE CELLS AND SPORES IN FOOD
NOT HEAT-TREATED OR HEAT-TREATED BUT NOT
PACKAGED
WATER
ACTIVITY
VALUES pH VALUES
less than 4.2 no less than
4.2 and not
greater than
4.6
greater than
4.6 and no
greater than
5.0
greater than
5.0 less than 0.88
non-PHF*
non-PHF*
non-PHF*
non-PHF*
no less than
0.88 and no
greater than 0.90
non-PHF* non-PHF* non-PHF* PA** no less than
0.90 and no
greater than
0.92
non-PHF* non-PHF* PA** PA** greater than
0.92
non-PHF* PA** PA** PA** *non-PHF means nonpotentially hazardous food **PA means a variance granted under 18 AAC 31.930 is required to consider the
food non-PHF

(Eff. 12/28/2006, Register 180)

Authority: AS 03.05.011, AS 17.20.010, AS 17.20.040, AS 17.20.005, AS 17.20.020, AS 17.20.180