La. Admin. Code tit. 7 § V-1217

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section V-1217 - Equipment, Tools, Buildings, and Sanitation

A. Equipment and tools subject to the requirements of this Chapter are those that are intended or likely to contact covered produce, and those instruments or controls used to measure, regulate, or record conditions to control or prevent the growth of microorganisms of public health significance. Equipment and tools used for covered produce include, but are not limited to:

1. knives;

2. implements;

3. mechanical harvesters;

4. waxing machinery;

5. cooling equipment (including hydrocoolers);

6. grading belts;

7. sizing equipment;

8. palletizing equipment;

9. equipment used to store or convey harvested covered produce;

10. containers;

11. bins;

12. food-packing material;

13. dump tanks;

14. flumes;

15. vehicles; or

16. other equipment used for transport that are intended to, or likely to, contact covered produce.

B. Buildings subject to the requirements of this Chapter include:

1. any fully- or partially-enclosed building used for covered activities, including minimal structures that have a roof but do not have any walls; and

2. storage sheds, buildings, or other structures used to store food contact surfaces, such as harvest containers and food-packing materials.

C. Equipment and tools subject to this Chapter shall:

1. be of adequate design, construction, and workmanship to enable them to be adequately cleaned and properly maintained;

2. be installed and maintained to facilitate cleaning of the equipment and all adjacent spaces;

3. be stored and maintained to protect covered produce from being contaminated with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards, and to prevent the equipment and tools from attracting and harboring pests;

4. have seams on food contact surfaces that are either smoothly bonded, or maintained to minimize accumulation of dirt, filth, food particles, and organic materials and thus minimize the opportunity for harborage or growth of microorganisms; and

5. be inspected, maintained, cleaned, and, when necessary and appropriate, all food contact surfaces of equipment and tools used in covered activities shall be maintained, cleaned, and sanitized as frequently as reasonably necessary to protect against contamination of covered produce.

D. If equipment such as pallets, forklifts, tractors, and vehicles are used as intended or likely to contact covered produce, they shall be used in a manner that minimizes the potential for contamination of covered produce or food contact surfaces with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards.

F. Instruments or controls used to measure, regulate, or record temperatures, hydrogen-ion concentration (pH), sanitizer efficacy or other conditions, in order to control or prevent the growth of microorganisms of public health significance, shall be:

1. accurate and precise as necessary and appropriate in keeping with their purpose;

2. adequately maintained; and

3. adequate in number for their designated uses.

E. Equipment that is subject to this Section used to transport covered produce shall be:

1. adequately cleaned before use in transporting covered produce; and

2. adequate for use in transporting covered produce.

F. All of the following requirements apply regarding buildings.

1. Buildings shall be suitable in size, construction, and design to facilitate maintenance and sanitary operations for covered activities to reduce the potential for contamination of covered produce or food contact surfaces with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards. Buildings shall:

a. provide sufficient space for placement of equipment and storage of materials;

b. permit proper precautions to be taken to reduce the potential for contamination of covered produce, food contact surfaces, or packing materials with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards. The potential for contamination shall be reduced by effective design including the separation of operations in which contamination is likely to occur, by one or more of the following means: location, time, partition, enclosed systems, or other effective means; and

2. Adequate drainage shall be provided in all areas where normal operations release or discharge water or other liquid waste on the ground or floor of the building.

G. Measures to prevent contamination of covered produce and food contact surfaces in buildings shall be implemented, as appropriate, considering the potential for such contamination.

H. Reasonable precautions shall be taken to prevent contamination of covered produce, food contact surfaces, and food-packing materials in fully-enclosed buildings with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards from domesticated animals by:

1. excluding domesticated animals from fully-enclosed buildings where covered produce, food contact surfaces, or food-packing material is exposed; or

2. separating domesticated animals in a fully-enclosed building from an area where a covered activity is conducted on covered produce by location, time, or partition.

I. Guard or guide dogs may be allowed in some areas of a fully enclosed building if the presence of the dogs is unlikely to result in contamination of produce, food contact surfaces, or food-packing materials.

J. Reasonably necessary measures shall be taken to protect covered produce, food contact surfaces, and foodpacking materials from contamination by pests in buildings, including routine monitoring for pests as necessary and appropriate.

K. For fully-enclosed buildings, measures shall be taken to exclude pests from buildings.

L. For partially-enclosed buildings, measures shall be taken to prevent pests from becoming established in such buildings, such as by use of screens or by monitoring for the presence of pests and removing them when present.

M. All of the following requirements apply to toilet facilities:

1. personnel shall be provided with adequate, readily accessible toilet facilities, including toilet facilities readily accessible to growing areas during harvesting activities;

2. toilet facilities shall be designed, located, and maintained to:

a. prevent contamination of covered produce, food contact surfaces, areas used for a covered activity, water sources, and water distribution systems with human waste;

b. be directly accessible for servicing, be serviced and cleaned at a frequency sufficient to ensure suitability of use, and be kept supplied with toilet paper; and

c. provide for the sanitary disposal of waste and toilet paper;

3. during growing activities that take place in a fully-enclosed building, and during harvesting, packing, or holding activities, a hand-washing station shall be provided in sufficiently close proximity to toilet facilities to make it practical for persons who use the toilet facility to wash their hands.

N. All of the following requirements apply to handwashing facilities.

1. Personnel shall be provided with adequate, readily accessible hand-washing facilities during growing activities that take place in a fully-enclosed building, and during covered harvest, packing, or holding activities.

2. Hand-washing facilities shall be furnished with:

a. soap or other effective surfactant,

b. running water that satisfies the requirements of 21 CFR § 112.44(a) for water used to wash hands, and

c. adequate drying devices, such as single service towels, sanitary towel service, or electric hand dryers.

3. Appropriate disposal of waste associated with a hand-washing facility shall be provided. Appropriate measures shall be taken to prevent waste water from a handwashing facility from contaminating covered produce, food contact surfaces, areas used for a covered activity, agricultural water sources, and agricultural water distribution systems with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards.

4. Antiseptic hand rubs shall not be used as a substitute for soap (or other effective surfactant) and water.

O. All of the following requirements shall apply for the control and disposal of sewage:

1. Sewage shall be disposed into an adequate sewage or septic system or through other adequate means.

2. Sewage and septic systems shall be maintained in a manner that prevents contamination of covered produce, food contact surfaces, areas used for a covered activity, agricultural water sources, and agricultural water distribution systems with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards; and

3. Leakages or spills of human waste shall be disposed in a manner that prevents contamination of covered produce, and prevents or minimizes contamination of food contact surfaces, areas used for a covered activity, agricultural water sources, or agricultural water distribution systems.

P. All of the following requirements apply to the control and disposal of trash, litter, and waste in areas used for covered activities:

1. Trash, litter, and waste shall be conveyed, stored, and disposed to:

a. minimize the potential for trash, litter, or waste to attract or harbor pests; and

b. protect against contamination of covered produce, food contact surfaces, areas used for a covered activity, agricultural water sources, and agricultural water distribution systems with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards.

2. Systems for waste treatment and disposal shall be adequately operated so that they do not constitute a potential source of contamination in areas used for a covered activity.

Q. The plumbing shall be of an adequate size and design and be adequately installed and maintained to:

1. distribute water under pressure as needed, in sufficient quantities, in all areas where used for covered activities, for sanitary operations, or for hand-washing and toilet facilities;

2. properly convey sewage and liquid disposable waste;

3. avoid being a source of contamination to covered produce, food contact surfaces, areas used for a covered activity, or agricultural water sources; and

4. not allow backflow from, or cross connection between, piping systems that discharge waste water or sewage and piping systems that carry water used for a covered activity, for sanitary operations, or for use in handwashing facilities.

R. If domesticated animals are present, their excreta and litter shall be adequately controlled and a system for control thereof shall be maintained in order to prevent contamination of covered produce, food contact areas used for a covered activity, agricultural water sources, or agricultural water distribution systems with animal waste.

La. Admin. Code tit. 7, § V-1217

Promulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Animal Health and Food Safety, LR 48399 (3/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S 3:922 and 923.