Almonds Grown in California; Revision of Outgoing Quality Control Requirements

This rule revises the outgoing quality control regulations issued under the California almond marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of almonds grown in California and is administered locally by the Almond Board of California (Board). This rule revises the term "validation" under the Salmonella bacteria (Salmonella) treatment program by specifying that validation data must be both submitted to and accepted by the Board's Technical Expert Review Panel (TERP) for all treatment equipment prior to its use under this program. This will help ensure that all treatment equipment meets a 4-log reduction of Salmonella in almonds.