BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1427|
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CONSENT
Bill No: AB 1427
Author: Solorio (D)
Amended: 8/7/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE : 7-0, 6/13/12
AYES: Hernandez, Harman, Alquist, Anderson, DeSaulnier,
Rubio, Wolk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Blakeslee, De Le�n
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Not relevant
SUBJECT : Food facilities: sanitization
SOURCE : Eco-Safe Systems USA, Inc.
DIGEST : This bill authorizes retail food facilities
(e.g. grocery stores, restaurants) to manually sanitize
food-contact surfaces with a chemical sanitizer generated
on-site by a device that complies with federal regulations
applicable to such devices.
ANALYSIS :
Existing federal regulation:
1. Authorizes the use of ozone in the treatment, storage
and processing of foods, including meat and poultry, in
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accordance with prescribed conditions.
2. Authorizes the use of ozone in the sanitization of
water-contact surfaces in the processing and bottling of
bottled water. Specifies the minimum concentration and
timing of the sanitization to be .1 parts per million
(ppm) ozone-water solution in an enclosed system for at
least five minutes.
Existing state law:
1. Provides, under the California Retail Food Code
(CalCode), for the development of health and sanitation
standards for retail food facilities by the Department
of Public Health (DPH) and vests local health agencies
with primary responsibility for enforcing these
standards.
2. Requires all food facilities to provide manual methods
to effectively clean and sanitize utensils and equipment
at the facility, as specified.
3. Authorizes the use of chlorine, iodine, and quaternary
ammonium, at specified concentrations and durations, for
use in the manual sanitation of utensils and equipment
during the final rinse. Additionally, authorizes manual
sanitation to be accomplished by immersion in water
above a specified temperature for a specified duration,
or manual sanitation by other methods approved by the
enforcement agency.
This bill authorizes retail food facilities (e.g. grocery
stores, restaurants) to manually sanitize food-contact
surfaces with a chemical sanitizer generated on-site by a
device that complies with federal regulations applicable to
such devices.
Background
According to the National Small Flows Clearinghouse, ozone
is an unstable gas that that can destroy bacteria and
viruses. It is formed when oxygen molecules (O2) collide
with oxygen atoms to produce ozone (O3). It is generated
by an electrical discharge through dry air or pure oxygen.
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Since it is an unstable gas, it decomposes to oxygen in
about 20 minutes, leaving no traces of the disinfectant.
Its quick decomposition means that it must be generated
onsite. Ozonation (ozone disinfection) is a common method
of disinfecting wastewater and was used in a United States
water treatment plant as early as 1940. According to the
Economic Research Service under the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), most bottled water is now treated with
ozone.
For any substance commonly used in the U.S. prior to
January 1, 1958, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) allows its use in other products if an independent
panel of experts deems the substance and its use as
"generally recognized as safe" (GRAS). According to the
USDA, ozone was deemed GRAS as a disinfectant for foods by
an independent panel of experts in 1997. The GRAS
determination in treating food products was an expansion of
uses already approved for ozone. The FDA claims that ozone
can reduce levels of harmful microorganisms, including some
E. coli strains and Cryptosporidium (a common source of
waterborne illness) in foods and juices, and can kill
viruses and parasites. Ozone is approved as a food
additive that may be safely used as an antimicrobial agent
in the treatment, storage, and processing of certain foods
under the conditions of use prescribed in the Code of
Federal Regulations.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/7/12)
Eco-Safe Systems USA, Inc. (source)
ClearWater Tech
DEL Industries, Inc.
Simply Fresh Fruit
Whole Foods Market
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The bill's sponsor, Eco-Safe
Systems USA, Inc., claims that ozone is a powerful
non-polluting antimicrobial sanitizer approved by the FDA
and USDA to eliminate bacteria on food, including
vegetables and meat. This bill allows this innovative and
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green technology to effectively disinfect food preparation
areas and to help reduce food contamination in an
ecological way. Eco-Safe claims that using ozone for
disinfection is organic and free from harmful by-products
and residues. Eco-Safe claims that they are an innovative
and environmentally friendly company that manufactures
ozonated water treatment and water reclamation systems with
over 100 clients in the supermarket, restaurant, food
processor, and water reclamation industries.
CTW:m 8/17/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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