Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-3-15-.05

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 3, December 31, 2024

Section 420-3-15-.05 - [Effective 2/14/2025] Equipment And Utensils

(1)Sanitary Design, Construction, and Installation of Equipment and Utensils: All equipment and utensils shall be designed, and of such material and workmanship, to be smooth, easily cleanable, durable, and shall be maintained in good repair. Food contact surfaces of such equipment and utensils shall be easily cleaned and sanitized. All equipment shall be installed and maintained to facilitate the cleaning of the equipment and adjacent areas.

(a) Design, Construction, and Materials:

1. All equipment and utensils shall be durable under normal conditions and operations, shall be resistant to denting, buckling, pitting, chipping, crazing, and excessive wear, and shall be capable of withstanding repeated scrubbing, scouring, and the corrosive action of cleaning and sanitizing agents.

2. Cooked crab meat contact surfaces shall be smooth, free from breaks, open seams, cracks, pits, and similar imperfections, shall be in good repair, and shall be easily cleanable.

3. Picking pans shall be of smooth stainless steel metal with rounded corners and shall have no rolled edges.

4. Picking, backing, and weighing tables shall be constructed of corrosion-resistant frames and legs. Construction joints shall be made by welding and ground to a smooth surface. Table top surfaces shall be made without seams, adequately sloped to drain, smooth, corrosion-resistant, durable, and impervious.

5. All chairs and stools used in the picking plant shall be of corrosion-resistant impervious material and fabricated to be easily cleanable.

6. Boilers shall be constructed of smooth, non-corrosive metal with rounded corners and shall be accessible for manual cleaning by disassembling with the use of simple tools kept available near the equipment. Boilers shall be designed to facilitate quick and complete drainage.

7. Steam lines in boilers shall be of a non-corrosive metal, shall be accessible for easy disassembling, and shall have threads of a sanitary design. No V-type threads shall be used within the boiler steam lines.

8. Baskets or submersion racks used within the boiler shall be constructed of stainless steel and constructed to be easily cleanable.

9. All utensils used in the picking of crab meat to include picking knives and claw breakers shall be smooth and easily cleanable.

10. Dippers, scoops, racks, and shovels shall be of noncorrosive material, easily cleanable, and of an approved design.

11. Waste containers or disposal units shall be of durable construction and designed to facilitate thorough cleaning. These containers shall be constructed of a corrosion-resistant material and shall be sized and fabricated to be easily cleanable.

12. Accurate scales shall be provided for the weighing of containers of crab meat and shall be constructed of noncorrosive, smooth and easily cleanable materials.

13. Containers used for transferring cooked crabs and/or crab claws within the plant shall be of a non-corrosive material, smooth, easily cleanable, and fabricated and constructed to allow for efficient cooling and air circulation. All carts, hand trucks, dollies, and similar items, shall be corrosion-resistant, non-absorbent, and easily cleanable.

14. All working tables within the crab meat processing plant shall be designed and fabricated to be easily cleanable.

15. All containers used for the packing of crab meat shall be constructed of a non-toxic material and shall be smooth and easily cleanable.

16. Single service articles shall be made of non-toxic materials.

(b) Equipment installation:

1. Floor-mounted equipment, unless readily movable, shall be sealed to the floors; or shall be installed on raised platforms of concrete or other smooth masonry in such a manner as to prevent liquids or debris from seeping or settling underneath, between or behind such equipment in spaces which are not fully open for cleaning and inspection; or such equipment shall be elevated at least six (6) inches above the floor. The space between adjoining units, and between a unit and the adjacent wall, shall be closed unless exposed to seepage, in which event it shall be sealed; or sufficient space shall be provided to facilitate easy cleaning between, behind, and beside all such equipment.

2. Gas lines, water pipes, electrical lines and conduits shall be located and installed to facilitate easy cleaning of floors, walls, ceilings, and equipment.

(c) Dimensions and Arrangements:

1. Aisles between picking tables and between equipment and walls shall be unobstructed and of sufficient width to permit employees to perform their duties without contamination of the crab meat, equipment, or utensils by clothing or through personal contact.

2. The dimensions and arrangement of all areas where crab meat, crab meat utensils, and equipment are handled or stored shall be of adequate size to preclude congestion of the operation or crowding of the area.

(2)Cleaning, Bactericidal Treatment, and Protection of Equipment and Utensils:

(a) Equipment and Utensil Cleanliness:

1. Utensils and food contact surfaces of equipment shall be cleaned and sanitized before and after each use.

2. Cooking boilers or vats shall be completely drained and cleaned with an approved detergent and rinsed with potable water at the end of each day's operation.

3. Tables used for the cooling, backing, picking, and packing of crab meat, or on which crabs or crab meat is processed or stored, shall be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each use or as frequently as necessary to be free from accumulation of dust, dirt, crab meat particles, and other debris.

4. Equipment and utensils shall be thoroughly rinsed of all detergents and abrasives.

5. Utensils or equipment taken from and returned to the plant shall be cleaned and sanitized before each use.

(b) Sanitization:

1. All utensils, table tops, working surfaces of equipment, and crab meat contact surfaces shall be cleaned and sanitized prior to each use and following any interruption of operations during which contamination is likely to have occurred. Detergent, sanitizers, and other supplies employed in the cleaning and sanitizing procedures shall be safe and effective and used in accordance with the labeling of the product.

(i) Utensils and equipment may be effectively sanitized by immersion for at least one (1) minute in potable water at a temperature of at least 170ºF or immersion for a period of at least 30 seconds in an effective sanitizing solution. Such sanitizing solutions shall provide the equivalent bactericidal strength of 50-200 ppm of available chlorine.

(ii) A test kit or other device shall be provided and used to accurately measure the concentration of the sanitizing solution to ensure compliance with the chemical sanitizers recommended use.

(iii) After thorough cleaning, pressurized steam and/or bactericidal sprays may be used to sanitize equipment too large to be sanitized by methods in (i).

2. During operation, the picking container shall be cleaned and sanitized after each delivery of crab meat to the packing room.

(c) Facilities for Cleaning and Sanitizing:

1. There shall be located within the packing room, and in close proximity to the delivery window, a three-compartment sink for the purpose of washing, rinsing, and sanitizing utensils used in the processing of crab meat.

2. Sinks used for manual washing and sanitizing operations shall be of adequate length, width, and depth to permit complete immersion of the equipment and/or utensils normally washed and sanitized. Each compartment shall be supplied with hot and cold water under pressure.

3. Wash and rinse water shall be changed with sufficient frequency to preclude the accumulation of organic matter.

4. Sanitizing vats shall be located within the backing and/or washing rooms for the effective sanitization of crab baskets, containers, or other utensils used for the transporting and handling of cooked crabs or crab claws.

5. There shall be located within the picking room in close proximity to the delivery window, a sanitizing vat of adequate size provided for the pickers to sanitize hands and picking knives. This vat shall be filled at the beginning of each day's work with an approved sanitizing agent equivalent to a chlorine solution of between 50-200 ppm available chlorine and shall be maintained at recommended strength during the day's activity.

(d) Storage and Handling of Cleaned and Sanitized Equipment and Utensils:

1. Food contact surfaces of cleaned and sanitized equipment and utensils shall be handled and stored in such a manner as to be protected from contamination.

2. Cleaned and sanitized equipment such as baskets and scoops, shall be stored at least six (6) inches above the floor in a clean, dry location so that they are protected from splash, dust, and other contamination.

3. Picking pans shall be allowed to air dry in a selfdraining position and properly stored on suitably located racks.

(e) Storage and Handling of Single-service and Single-use Items:

1. Containers and covers shall be stored in original cartons, kept clean, dry, and protected until used.

2. Container storage rooms shall not be used as general storerooms for unused equipment and materials. Containers shall be stored at least six (6) inches above the floor and away from the walls to facilitate inspecting and cleaning the area.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-3-15-.05

Filed September 1, 1982. Repealed and New Rule: Filed December 20, 2006; effective January 24, 2007.

Adopted by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XLIII, Issue No. 03, December 31, 2024, eff. 2/14/2025.

Author: Lewis A. Byrd, Ph.D., Toni Ackerson, Nan Steedley

Statutory Authority: Code of Ala., 1975, § 22-2-2(6), 22-20-5.