A finished equilibrium pH. Not the pH of the brine.
Both definitions use the same phrase
A finished equilibrium pH. Not a pH, and not an initial pH.
Which means after distribution
Acid added to a jar of solids does not reach the middle of a cucumber immediately. The equilibrium pH is the one that exists once it has.
So the measurement has a timing
Too early and the reading is the liquid, which will be more acid than the solids. The number that matters is the settled one.
Finished is the other half of the phrase
The finished product, after whatever process it goes through, rather than the mixture as packed.
Which is why a container matters to it
Equilibrium happens inside the jar, over time, and a jar that leaks or exchanges with the air is not holding a settled system.
And why 114.80(a)(4) exists
Testing and examinations of containers shall occur often enough to ensure that the container suitably protects the food from leakage or contamination.
Which is a container requirement phrased as a frequency
Not a specification. The requirement is to keep checking, which is a process rather than a purchase.
Our liner data is the closest thing we offer
53 heat induction seals, 28 F217, 22 pressure sensitive, against 18 recorded as No Liner and 12 unrecorded, out of 183 closures.
For a product holding an equilibrium, the seal is the whole thing
Which puts the liner at the center the same way it does on the concentrates and gummies shelves, for a different reason each time.
Glass is the right wall and is 19 of 20 here
Inert, visible, and it does not take up acid. For a product whose defining property is its pH that is the safe choice.
And 18 of 20 are clear
Which is the most monochrome shelf measured in this library and is exactly right: a preserve is bought on how it looks.
The two amber ones are the exception
And for a light-sensitive preserve they are the whole offering.
References
21 CFR 114.3. Acidified foods are defined as "low-acid foods to which acid(s) or acid food(s) are added", which "have a water activity (aw) greater than 0.85 and have a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below". Low-acid foods are defined as "any foods, other than alcoholic beverages, with a finished equilibrium pH greater than 4.6 and a water activity (aw) greater than 0.85." Part 114 governs commercial processors of acidified foods; low-acid canned foods fall under part 113, which is not described here.
law.cornell.edu21 CFR 114.80(b): "Each container or product shall be marked with an identifying code permanently visible to the naked eye." The section continues that "The required identification shall specify in code the establishment where the product was packed, the product contained therein, and the year, day, and period during which it was packed", and that "The packing period code shall be changed often enough to enable ready identification of lots during their sale and distribution." Paragraph (a)(4) provides that "Testing and examinations of containers shall occur often enough to ensure that the container suitably protects the food from leakage or contamination."
law.cornell.eduThe Davis Pack Supply catalog, measured 19 October 2026. 203 rows: 20 containers and 183 closures, which is the second smallest container count in this library and the most lopsided closure ratio measured anywhere, at better than nine to one. 266 to 1,893 mL with a median of 473; 11 over a pint and 5 over a quart. 19 glass and 1 PET. 18 clear and 2 amber, which is the most monochrome shelf measured. 8 glass mason and paragon jars, 6 glass straight sided jars, 3 glass hex jars, 1 PET wide mouth container, 1 glass wide mouth short jar, 1 french square. Nine distinct neck finishes across 20 containers: 5 at 63TW, 4 at 89-400, 3 at 70-450G, 2 at 70TW, 2 at 70-400, and singles at 110-405, 70-450, 63-400 and 48-400. Liners on the closures: 53 heat induction seal, 28 F217, 22 pressure sensitive, 18 No Liner, 16 Plastis standard, 13 PE foam, 12 unrecorded, 11 Plastis pasteur, 9 foam. Buyability, a snapshot: 14 of 20 available, 6 not; 7 quote only; 19 of 20 full case only, with case packs from 12 to 144 and a median of 72.
