About Us
Food Science Extension includes outreach education programs that support county Extension agents, food entrepreneurs, value-added producers, industry and regulatory stakeholders, and Tennessee youth in 4-H and FFA.
Through applied research, food safety education, Hygienic Design Laboratory, and our Process Innovation Laboratory we help stakeholders improve their understanding of the science of food, food safety hazards, hygienic design of equipment, thermal processing methods, nutritional labeling, and other state and federal regulatory requirements associated with food manufacturing.
Our Process Innovation Laboratory provides pH and water activity testing for food products and we can serve as a process authority for acidified food manufacturers. For more information, please visit the “Services” Tab below.
We offer online and in-person workshops/courses such as Better Process Control School Course as well as personalized workshops for stakeholders who are interested in improving training of their employees. For more information, visit the “Workshops/Trainings” Tab below.
Got a question?
Please fill out the contact form to reach out.
Tennessee Regulations
- Tennessee Code Annotated (Title 53)
- Food Code 2009 (Currently adopted by Tennessee)
- Tennessee Food Freedom Act
USDA-Federal Regulations
Guidance Documents to Aid the Food Manufacturing Process
Manufacturing Acidified Foods in Tennessee
Manufacturing Formulated Acid Foods in Tennessee
Tennessee Food Freedom Act – Homemade Foods Allowed under the “Cottage Food Laws”
Regulatory Considerations for Meat
Meat Product Labeling
Retail Meat Sales
Ley de Libertad Alimentaria
de Tennessee – 2022
Alimentos hechos en casa
permitidos bajo las Leyes
Cottage de Alimentos
Adding Value to Tennessee Agriculture
Cider Sales in Tennessee
Checklist for Starting a Food Business
Starting a Food Manufacturing Business
Egg Sales in Tennessee: Requirements for Producers with Small Flocks
Iniciando un Negocio de Producción de Alimentos en
Tennessee
Asistencia Técnica y Lista de Verificación para Iniciar un Negocio de Manufactura de Alimentos en Tennessee
Upcoming Events
| Course/Event | Date | Location | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| HACCP Workshop | TBD | Live Course will be held in-person with instructor interaction 2600 River Drive Knoxville, TN 37996 | CANCELLED |
| Preventive Controls Workshop | Nov 11-14, 2024 11:30 – 5:00 Eastern | Virtual Course, co-taught and offered by Virginia Tech | Virtual Course |
Workshops & Trainings
Better Process Control School
FSMA–Preventive Controls For Human Foods
HACCP–Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
Domestic Kitchen Training
EHEDG–European Hygienic Engineering & Design
Principles of Sanitation for Food Manufacturers
Food Science Programs for Youth
In-service presentation 2/1/2024 – https://foodscience.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2024/01/Youth-Programs-in-Food-Science_Final_2023.pptx
Services
Through our Process Innovation Laboratory, we’re happy to help you analyze your new food product and develop a scheduled process (for food with a pH lower than 4.6).
Please contact us at foodsci_ext@utk.edu so we know to expect your sample and to verify what type of analyses you will need.
List of Services
1. Water activity and pH Analysis:
We test products for:
- Water activity (to determine if a food is Non-Time and Temperature Control for Safety Food): $35 per sample
- pH (to be sure acidified foods are below 4.6): $10 per sample
Water activity and/or pH analysis requires at least 4 ounces of each sample.
2. Nutrition Facts Panel:
- Nutritional Facts Panel: $100 per sample
We develop a Nutrition Facts Panel for your product based on ingredients and formulation. We do not have the resources to analyze the nutritional contact of a sample.
3. Process Letter:
We provide a process letter for:
- Formulated Acid Food (foods that have a natural pH of 4.6 or less) and
- Acidified food (food to which acid(s) or acid food(s) are added and which has a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below).
Types of the process letters:
- Hot Fill/Cold Fill: $100 per sample
Hot Fill/Cold Fill process requires at least 4 ounces of each sample to analyze/confirm the pH and/or water activity of your product.
- Water Bath: $400 per sample
Water bath process requires at least 6 FULL CONTAINERS of product for each container type/size instead of 4 oz.
Processing Time
Current turnaround is 4-6 weeks depending on the service requested and our workload.
Submission Process
Submission process is same for any services listed above. Any forms and documents missing and/or incomplete may result in delay.
Steps for submitting your request and sample:
Step 1: Complete the Sample Submission Form:
- Save PDF to your computer.
- Fill out the form. When completing this form, please make sure to list formulation by WEIGHTS, and provide detailed, step-by-step instructions for the production process. Include the processing details for each step such as temperature, time, filling/packaging size.
- Save and print.
Step 2: Complete the Product Formulation-Percentage by Weight Form:
- Save PDF to your computer.
- Fill out the form. When completing this form, please make sure to use the same units of measurement for weighing each ingredient (i.e., grams, ounces, pounds, etc.). Do not use cups, tsp, tbsp, or fluid ounces.
- Save and print.
Step 3: Mail or drop-off the followings to the address below:
- At least 4 ounces of each sample for pH or water activity analysis, – make sure to label each sample container with the product name, contact name (either company or your name), and bottling date.
- Payment
- Sample submission form, and
- Product formulation-percentage by weight form to:
University of Tennessee
Process Innovation Laboratory
2510 River Dr.
Food Science Building
Knoxville, TN 37996
