{"id":365,"date":"2022-06-21T16:08:52","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T16:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tightrope-walk.com\/?p=365"},"modified":"2023-09-07T16:12:55","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T16:12:55","slug":"keeping-cold-hot-3-things-every-cold-brewer-should-know-about-food-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.tightrope-walk.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/21\/keeping-cold-hot-3-things-every-cold-brewer-should-know-about-food-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping cold hot: 3 things every cold brewer should know about food safety"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By William \u201cBill\u201d Murray, President & CEO, National Coffee Association USA<\/p>\n

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While not a new format by any means, cold brew has shot up in popularity<\/a> in recent years and is expected to keep growing<\/a>. About 16% of coffee drinkers reported having had cold brew in the past week, according to the NCA National Coffee Drinking Trends<\/a> report \u2013 up from only 8% in 2016.\u00a0 What hasn\u2019t kept pace, however, are clear food safety best practices, guidance, and regulations to help keep this massively popular product \u2013 and the customers who demand it \u2013 safe. It is crucial to stress that cold brew coffee, like traditionally prepared coffee, is generally safe \u2013 but changing times and evolving brew methods call for food safety vigilance \u2013 despite coffee\u2019s long, safe track record.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why, with help from our team of scientists on the NCA Science Leadership Council (and support from our cold brew partner BUNN), NCA has created the all-new Cold Brew Safety Guide for Retailers<\/em><\/a> along with several other new resources to help coffee retailers safely brew, store, and serve cold brew \u2013 one of the hottest drinks in coffee today.<\/p>\n

Here are three key things every cold brew retailer should know to help keep their cold brew coffee food-safe:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. The \u201cdanger zone\u201d for cold brew where bacteria can grow is 41-140\u02daF.\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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Brew, store, and serve your cold brew at a temperature of 40\u02da F or below to minimize the risk of pathogens like botulism that could cause foodborne illness. Above 140\u02daF, most toxin-producing bacteria are killed. However, while cold brew doesn\u2019t technically have to be served cold, it may lose some of the smooth taste and flavor your customers have come to expect from cold brew if heated above this temperature.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Retail dispensed cold brew (i.e., made on-premises in a coffee shop) and RTD cold brew are not created equal \u2013 and each requires special safety considerations.<\/h2>\n
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RTD packaged cold brew is cold brew that is manufactured and bottled under aseptic conditions in a manufacturing facility following FDA\u2019s low-acid food regulations (21 CFR Part 113), whereas dispensed cold brew is often prepared and served on-site at a retail location and is regulated by a local health inspector following FDA\u2019s Food Code<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dispensed cold brew is generally prepared at 40-70\u02daF overnight at a retail location using roasted coffee and filtered water and can be infused with nitrogen to make nitro cold brew. The cold brew can be stored in airtight or covered (non-airtight) containers.<\/p>\n

Health inspectors examining a retail dispensed cold brew operation may require a HACCP Plan \u2013 see more on HACCP Plans below.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NCA\u2019s 2018 Cold Brew Toolkit for Industry dives into RTD cold brew safety considerations, while dispensed retail cold brew (and its potential food safety risks) are covered extensively in the just-released NCA Cold Brew Safety Guide for Retailers (2022). Both are available <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a03. You might need a HACCP Plan.<\/h2>\n
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Every retail cold brew operation should determine whether a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan is necessary. This seven-step framework is critical in reducing hazards in food to acceptable levels, and consists of:<\/p>\n