Reduced Oxygen Packaging (ROP) such as vacuum packaging, cook-chill and sous vide processes are considered specialized processes under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Model Food Code. The use of ROP has become increasingly popular in restaurants across the nation. Building a positive relationship between industry members and regulators is an important component in making sure ROP is implemented correctly for consumer food safety.
During the first portion of the sharing session, food safety experts Chef Don Brizes and Chef Robert Brener provided an industry perspective of implementing ROP in the restaurant. The second portion featured a presentation from Vas Hofer on Maricopa County, AZ’s Variance and HACCP plan review processes for restaurants using ROP.