DESCRIPTION

·       CANNED HUMUS WITH TEHENA IS THE PRODUCT:

o   PREPARED FROM PURE, DRY, WASHED, BOILED AND MASHED CHICKPEAS WITH TEHENA ADDED WITH OR WITHOUT SALT;

o   PACKED IN A WELL-SEALED CONTAINER;

o   PROCESSED BY HEAT IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER, BEFORE OR AFTER BEING HERMETICALLY SEALED IN A CONTAINER, SO AS TO PREVENT SPOILAGE.

ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS

·       BASIC INGREDIENTS CHICKPEAS AND TEHENA.

·       OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

o   SALT

o   LEMON JUICE

o   CONDIMENTS AND SPICES

·       QUALITY FACTORS – GENERAL

o   THE END PRODUCT SHALL MEET THE FOLLOWING GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

o   ALL THE INGREDIENTS, INCLUDING FOOD ADDITIVES, SHALL COMPLY WITH THEIR OWN STANDARDS, AND BE SAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

o   THE PRODUCT SHALL BE FREE FROM ABNORMAL, FOREIGN MATTERS AND INSECTS AND PARTS OF THEM.

o   THE PRODUCT SHALL BE FREE FROM ADDED FILLING MATERIAL, I.E. FLOUR, STARCH, ETC.

o   THE MIXTURE SHALL BE PASTY, HOMOGENEOUS AND FREE FROM AGGLOMERATION.

o   THE PRODUCT SHALL BE NATURAL IN FLAVOUR, COLOUR AND ODOUR.

o   THE PRODUCT SHALL NOT CONTAIN ANY ADDED FAT CONTENT EXCEPT THAT OF TEHENA ORIGIN

·       QUALITY FACTORS – SPECIFIC

o   THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO THE FINAL PRODUCT WHEN PREPARED READY FOR CONSUMPTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE:

o   THE MINIMUM CONTENT OF TEHENA IS 8 % (M/M).

o   THE MAXIMUM CONTENT OF SALT IS 2 % (M/M).

o   THE MINIMUM CONTENT OF TOTAL SOLIDS IS 27 % (M/M).

o   THE MAXIMUM CONTENT OF TOTAL ACIDITY IS 1% (M/M), AS CITRIC ACID.

FOOD ADDITIVES

·       ONLY THOSE FOOD ADDITIVES LISTED BELOW MAY BE USED AND ONLY WITHIN THE LIMITS SPECIFIED.

·       ACIDITY REGULATORS

INS NO

FOOD ADDITIVE

MAXIMUM LEVEL

330

CITRIC ACID

GMP

ANTICAKING AGENTS

INS NO

FOOD ADDITIVE

MAXIMUM LEVEL

500(I)

SODIUM CARBONATE

GMP

STABILIZERS

INS NO

FOOD ADDITIVE

MAXIMUM LEVEL

501(I)

POTASSIUM CARBONATE

GMP

CONTAMINANTS

·       THE PRODUCT COVERED BY THIS STANDARD SHALL COMPLY WITH THE MAXIMUM LIMITS FOR CONTAMINANTS AND THE MAXIMUM RESIDUES LIMITS FOR PESTICIDES ESTABLISHED BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION.

HYGIENE

·       IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PRODUCTS COVERED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THIS STANDARD BE PREPARED AND HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPROPRIATE SECTIONS OF THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FOOD HYGIENE (CXC 1-1969), CODE OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE FOR LOW-ACID AND ACIDIFIED LOW-ACID CANNED FOODS (CXC 23-1979) AND OTHER RELEVANT CODEX TEXTS SUCH AS CODES OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE AND CODES OF PRACTICE.

·       THE PRODUCT SHOULD COMPLY WITH ANY MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA ESTABLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND APPLICATION OF MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA RELATED TO FOODS (CXG 21-1997).

PACKAGING AND STORAGE

·       THE PRODUCT SHALL BE PACKED IN CONTAINERS, WHICH WILL SAFEGUARD THE HYGIENIC, NUTRITIONAL AND ORGANOLEPTIC QUALITY OF THE END PRODUCT.

·       THE PRODUCT SHALL BE STORED IN A WELL-VENTILATED STORE, PROTECTED AGAINST DIRECT HEAT, MOISTURE AND CONTAMINATION.

·       THE USED METAL CONTAINER SHALL BE COATED WITH FOOD GRADE LACQUER, SUITABLE FOR THE PRODUCT, WITH NO MECHANICAL DEFECT AND RUST FREE.

·       THE END PRODUCT CONTAINER SHALL HAVE NO SWELLING, THE INNER PRESSURE SHALL BE LESS THAN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT 20C.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

·       MINIMUM FILL THE CONTAINER SHALL BE WELL FILLED WITH THE PRODUCT AND THE PRODUCT SHALL OCCUPY NOT LESS THAN 90% OF THE WATER CAPACITY OF THE CONTAINER. THE WATER CAPACITY OF THE CONTAINER IS THE VOLUME OF DISTILLED WATER AT 20OC WHICH THE SEALED CONTAINER WILL HOLD WHEN COMPLETELY FILLED.

LABELLING

·       THE PRODUCT SHALL BE LABELLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL STANDARD FOR THE LABELLING OF PREPACKAGED FOODS (CXS 1-1985). 

·       NAME OF FOOD THE NAME OF THE FOOD SHALL BE “HUMUS WITH TEHENA”.