Has anyone had experience with processing authority? I was quoted $900 for a letter for one product and $350 for each additional product. Is this average? Im in Florida.
Process Authority Cost?
- Thread starter Wicked Pepper
- Start date
salsalady
Business Member
NO! that's way outa line. unless they are doing a full work up of pH, shelf stability, NIP, nutritional analysis, water content ...and you want all that.......then yea, maybe $900....
Universities usually are the best option. Look for ones that have a food science department. Just start contacting them for prices, amount of samples needed, backlog! (how soon can they get to your product).
Each situation is different, but if your sauce has a good pH, doesn't have any Critical items, and it's a straight forward process, pH testing and a PA letter should be $75-$150 depending on the lab/university. To save time, headache, and re-testing down the road, you should find out what your local AHJ will require for testing before sending off samples.
Universities usually are the best option. Look for ones that have a food science department. Just start contacting them for prices, amount of samples needed, backlog! (how soon can they get to your product).
Each situation is different, but if your sauce has a good pH, doesn't have any Critical items, and it's a straight forward process, pH testing and a PA letter should be $75-$150 depending on the lab/university. To save time, headache, and re-testing down the road, you should find out what your local AHJ will require for testing before sending off samples.
Wicked Pepper said:
I do!
I answered on another thread...
You can get this done for $150 and the lab I work with will do 4 products for that price.
salsalady said:
Sure.
I use Deibel Labs in Gainesville Florida
http://www.deibellabs.com/
3530 NW 97th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32606
(352) 331-3313 - ask for Brian Farina
They will do Processing Authority Letters for $150. You get up to 4 if you send them all at once.
salsalady
Business Member
afaik, yes. I'm in WA state and my PA is in another state.
There are some things that are up to interpretation of the PA and that may vary from one PA to another, but they all follow the same basic parameters. I had one sauce that was right on the borderline of pH for being classified as one type or another. There was a 3rd category that my sauce fell into, but the first PA I sent the sauce to for testing refused to even talk to me about the sauce or look at the 3rd classification. So I went to another PA who agreed with me that my sauce did in fact fit into that 3rd classification.
Point being, sometimes it does pay to get a 2nd opinion. Side note about the first PA (at a university food science department)...they would take 3-4 MONTHS to do a simple pH test and PA letter for a sauce that was below 3.5pH. No call backs, no response via email....Eventually, I figured out that they weren't the only Lab in the Pond!
It also comes down to your local licenser and who they recognize as a Process Authority. A quick call to your licensing entity should get you what you need.
Once again- a PROCESS Authority reviews your recipe, ingredients and cooking/packaging process and will approve or deny your recipe and process. Your local/state health district takes that PA letter, does the physical inspection of the facility, the process, etc and they make sure that you are following the process the PA has set forth.
There are some things that are up to interpretation of the PA and that may vary from one PA to another, but they all follow the same basic parameters. I had one sauce that was right on the borderline of pH for being classified as one type or another. There was a 3rd category that my sauce fell into, but the first PA I sent the sauce to for testing refused to even talk to me about the sauce or look at the 3rd classification. So I went to another PA who agreed with me that my sauce did in fact fit into that 3rd classification.
Point being, sometimes it does pay to get a 2nd opinion. Side note about the first PA (at a university food science department)...they would take 3-4 MONTHS to do a simple pH test and PA letter for a sauce that was below 3.5pH. No call backs, no response via email....Eventually, I figured out that they weren't the only Lab in the Pond!
It also comes down to your local licenser and who they recognize as a Process Authority. A quick call to your licensing entity should get you what you need.
Once again- a PROCESS Authority reviews your recipe, ingredients and cooking/packaging process and will approve or deny your recipe and process. Your local/state health district takes that PA letter, does the physical inspection of the facility, the process, etc and they make sure that you are following the process the PA has set forth.
I know this thread is 4 years old, but I just contacted Deibel Labs and now it's $115 per sauce for tests. That's for pH and PA letter. They no longer do the 4 for $150. It would be awesome if everyone could link the Labs they use so we can check put prices.
Sneaky trick that works in KY and maybe other states. We have a cottage industry law that DOES NOT let you sell commercially / across state lines but it does give you access to low dollar testing: $50.00 a pop via the university and extension office. You can then use the testing as a road map to dial in a recipe you know will pass for commercial testing. Makes developing more affordable.
