| 1. |
SCOPE -This standard applies to products as defined in Section 2.1 below. |
| 2. |
DESCRIPTION |
| 2.1 |
Product Definition |
| 2.1.1 |
Vinegar is a liquid, fit for human
consumption, produced exclusively from suitable products
containing starch or sugars or starch as and sugars by the
process of double fermentation, alcoholic and acetous, as
further defined in Section 2.1.1.1 to 2.1.1.8. Vinegar contains
a specified amount of acetic acid. Vinegar may contain optional
ingredients in accordance with Section 3.2.
|
| 2.1.1.1 |
Wine Vinegar is a vinegar obtained from wine
by acetous fermentation, except that the maximum level for
volatile acids in the raw materials may be exceeded.
|
| 2.1.1.2 |
Fruit (wine) vinegar, berry (wine) vinegar,
cider vinegar are vinegars obtained from acetous fermentation
from wine of fruit or wine of berries or cider, except that the
maximum level for volatile acids in the raw materials may be
exceeded. The products may also be obtained from fruit by the
process defined in Section 2.1.1.
|
| 2.1.1.3 |
Spirit vinegar is a vinegar obtained by
acetous fermentation from distilled alcohol.
|
| 2.1.1.4 |
Grain vinegar is a vinegar obtained without
intermediate distillation by the process defined in Section
2.1.1 from any cereal grain, the starch of which has been
concerted to sugars by a process other than solely by the
diastase of malted barley.
|
| 2.1.1.5 |
Malt vinegar is a vinegar obtained without
intermediate distillation by the process defined in 2.1.1 from
malted barley, with or without the addition of cereal grains,
the starch of which has been concerted to sugars solely by the
diastase of the malted barley.
|
| 2.1.1.6 |
Distilled malt vinegar is a vinegar produced
by the distillation of malt vinegar, as defined in Section
2.1.1.5 above, under reduced pressure. It contains only the
volatile constituents of the malt vinegar from which it is
derived.
|
| 2.1.1.7 |
Whey vinegar is a vinegar obtained without
intermediate distillation by the process defined in Section
2.1.1 from whey.
|
| 2.1.1.8 |
Honey vinegar is a vinegar obtained without
intermediate distillation by the process defined in Section
2.1.1. from honey.
|
| 3. |
ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY
CRITERIA |
| 3.1 |
Raw Materials |
| 3.1.1 |
(i) Products of agricultural origin
containing starch, sugar or starch and sugars including but not
limited to fruit, berries, cereal grains, malted barley, whey,
honey.
(ii) Wine of grape, fruit or berries, cider.
(iii) Distilled alcohol of agricultural origin.
(iv) Distilled alcohol of silvicultural origin.
|
| 3.2 |
Optional Ingredient :
The following ingredients may be added to vinegar in amounts
necessary to impart a distinctive flavor.
|
| 3.2.1 |
Plants, in particular herbs, spices and
fruit, or their parts or extracts suitable for flavoring.
|
| 3.2.2 |
Whey. |
| 3.2.3 |
Fruit Juices or their equivalent of
concentrated fruit juices. |
| 3.2.4 |
Sugars as defined by the Codex Alimentation Commission. |
| 3.2.5 |
Honey as defined by the Codex Alimentation Commission. |
| 3.2.6 |
Food grade salt as defined by the
Codex Alimentation Commission. |
| 3.3 |
Total Acid Contents |
| 3.3.1 |
Wine vinegar not less than 60 grain per
liter (calculated as acetic acid). |
| 3.3.2 |
Other vinegar not less than 50 grain per
liter (calculated as acetic acid). |
| 3.3.3 |
All vinegars not more than the amount
detainable through the use of biological fermentation. |
| 3.4 |
Residual Alcohol Content
Residual alcohol: not more than 0.5% v/v, except for 1% v/v in
wine vinegar. |
| 3.5 |
Soluble Solids
The soluble solids content exclusive of added sugars or salt of;
(i) Vinegars defined section 2.1.1.1 shall not be less than 1.3 grain
per 1000 ml per 1% acetic acid and of
(ii) Vinegars defined in section 2.1.1.2 shall not be less than
2.0 grain per 1000 ml per 1% acetic acid
|
| 4. |
FOOD ADDITIVES |
|
Maximum Level
|
| 4.1 |
Sulphur dioxide |
70 mg/kg |
| 4.2 |
L-ascorbic acid (as antioxidant) |
400 mg/kg |
| 4.3 |
Caramel colour (plain) |
GMP |
| 4.4 |
Caramel colour (ammonium sulphite process) |
1 g/ kg |
| 4.5 |
Caramel colour (ammonia process) |
1 g/ kg |
| 4.6 |
Flavors
Natural flavors and natural flavoring substances as defined for
the purpose of the Codex Alimentation (General Requirements for
Natural Flavoring, Codex Alimentation, Volume 1)
|
| 4.7 |
Flavor Enhancers |
| 4.7.1 |
Monosodium, monopotassium and calcium glutamate
(Except for wine vinegar according to Section 2.1.1.1) : maximum
level 5 g/kg
|
| 4.8 |
Carry - Over Principle
Section 3 of the "Principle relating to the Carry-over of
Food Additives into Foods" (Codex Alimentation Volume 1)
shall apply.
|
| 4.9 |
Processing Aids |
| 4.9.1 |
Nutrients for Acetobacter (such as yeast
extracts and autolysates and amino-acids) and nutrient salts.
|
| 4.9.2 |
Clarifying and filtering agents as approved by
the Codex Alimentation Commission and used in accordance with Good
Manufacturing Practice.
|
| 5. |
CONTAMINANTS |
|
Maximum Levels
|
| 5.1 |
Arsenic (As) |
1 mg/ kg |
| 5.2 |
Lead (Pb) |
1 mg/ kg |
| 5.3 |
Sum of Copper (Cu) and Zince (Zn) |
10 mg/ kg |
| 5.4 |
Iron (Fe) |
10 mg/ kg |
| 6. |
HYGIENE |
| 6.1 |
It is recommended that the products covered by
the provisions of this standard be prepared in accordance with the
General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/ RCF 1-1969, Rev. 2
(1985), Codex Alimentation Volume 1).
|
| 6.2 |
When tested by appropriate methods of sampling
and examination the product:
(a) shall be free from micro-organisms capable of development
under normal conditions of storage in amounts which represent a
hazard to healthy;
(b) shall not contain vinegar eels or substantial quantities of
other suspended matters and sediments; and shall be free from
turbidity caused by micro-organisms (mother of vinegar)
(c) shall not contain any substances originating from
micro-organisms in amounts which may represent a hazard to health.
|
| 7. |
WEIGHT AND MEASURES |
| 7.1 |
Fill of Container |
| 7.1.1 |
Minimum Fill Vinegar shall occupy not less than
90% v/v of the water capacity of the container. The water capacity
of the container is the volume of distilled water at 20C which the
sealed container will hold when completely filled.
|
| 8. |
LABELING
In addition to the Codex Standard for the labeling of Prepackaged
Foods (CODEX STAN 1-1985, (Rev. 1-1991), Codex Alimentation Volume
1) the following provisions apply: |
| 8.1 |
The Name of the food |
| 8.1.1 |
A product manufactured from only one raw
material shall be denominated "x vinegar" where
"x" is the name of the raw material used.
|
| 8.1.2 |
A product manufactured from more than one raw
material shall be denominated "y vinegar" where
"y" constitutes a complete list of the raw materials
used in descending order of production.
|
| 8.1.3 |
The content of total acid shall be declared in
closed proximity to the name of the food by the term "x
%" where "x" is the minimum total acid content in
g/ 100 ml calculated as acetic acid to the nearest whole number
|
| 8.1.4 |
Where an ingredient has been added in
accordance with sub-section 3.2 and /or 4.6 which imparts to the
food the distinctive flavor of the ingredient or ingredients the
name shall be accompanied by an approximate descriptive term.
8.2 Labeling of Non-Retail Containers
In addition to sections 2 and 3 of the General Standard the
following specific provisions apply to the labeling of non retail
containers
Information on section 8.1 to 8.8 shall be given either on the
container or in accompanying documents, except that the name of
the food, lot identification and the name and address of the
manufacturer or packer shall appear on the containers.
However, lot identification and the name and address of the
manufacturer or packer may be replaced by an identification mark,
provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the
accompanying documents.
|
| 9. |
METHODS OF ANALYSIS AND SAMPLING
See Codex Alimentation Volume 13. |
