N.J. Admin. Code § 8:24-4.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 12, June 17, 2024

Section 8:24-4.2 - Design and construction

(a) Equipment and utensils shall be designed and constructed to be durable and to retain their characteristic qualities under normal use conditions.

(b) Multiuse food-contact surfaces shall be:

1. Smooth;

2. Free of breaks, open seams, cracks, chips, pits, and similar imperfections;

3. Free of sharp internal angles, corners, and crevices;

4. Finished to have smooth welds and joints; and

5. Accessible for cleaning and inspection by one of the following methods:

i. Without being disassembled;

ii. By disassembling without the use of tools; or

iii. By easy disassembling with the use of handheld tools commonly available to maintenance and cleaning personnel such as screwdrivers, pliers, open-end wrenches, and Allen wrenches. This paragraph does not apply to cooking oil storage tanks, distribution lines for cooking oils, or beverage syrup lines or tubes.

(c) Temperature measuring devices shall meet the following requirements:

1. Food temperature measuring devices shall be provided and readily accessible for use in ensuring attainment and maintenance of food temperatures as specified under N.J.A.C. 8:24-3.

2. A temperature measuring device with a suitable small-diameter probe that is designed to measure the temperature of thin masses shall be provided and readily accessible to accurately measure the temperature in thin foods such as meat patties and fish filets.

3. Food temperature measuring devices shall be designed to be easily readable and accurate to +/- two degrees Fahrenheit in the intended range of use and shall be calibrated in accordance with manufacturer's specifications as necessary to ensure their accuracy.

4. Food temperature measuring devices shall not have sensors or stems constructed of glass, except that thermometers with glass sensors or stems that are encased in a shatterproof coating such as candy thermometers may be used.

5. Ambient air temperature, water pressure, and water temperature measuring devices shall be maintained in good repair and be accurate within the intended range of use.

6. Ambient air and water temperature measuring devices shall be designed to be easily readable and accurate to +/- three degrees Fahrenheit in the intended range of use.

7. Cold or hot holding equipment used for potentially hazardous food shall be designed to include and shall be equipped with at least one integral or permanently affixed temperature measuring device that is located to allow easy viewing of the device's temperature display, except that this paragraph does not apply to equipment for which the placement of a temperature measuring device is not a practical means for measuring the ambient air surrounding the food because of the design, type, and use of the equipment, such as calrod units, heat lamps, cold plates, bain maries, steam tables, insulated food transport containers, and salad bars.

8. In a mechanically refrigerated or hot food storage unit, the sensor of a temperature measuring device shall be located to measure the air temperature in the warmest part of a mechanically refrigerated unit and in the coolest part of a hot food storage unit.

9. Food temperature measuring devices and water temperature measuring devices on warewashing machines shall have a numerical scale, printed record, or digital readout in increments no greater than two degrees Fahrenheit in the intended range of use.

(d) CIP equipment shall be designed and constructed so that:

1. Cleaning and sanitizing solutions circulate throughout a fixed system and contact all interior food-contact surfaces;

2. The system is self-draining or capable of being completely drained of cleaning and sanitizing solutions; and

3. CIP equipment that is not designed to be disassembled for cleaning shall be designed with inspection access points to ensure that all interior food-contact surfaces throughout the fixed system are being effectively cleaned.

(e) "V" type threads may not be used on food-contact surfaces, except for hot oil cooking or filtering equipment.

(f) Hot oil filtering equipment shall be readily accessible for filter replacement and cleaning of the filter.

(g) Cutting or piercing parts of can openers shall be readily removable for cleaning and for replacement.

(h) Nonfood-contact surfaces shall be free of unnecessary ledges, projections, and crevices, and designed and constructed to allow easy cleaning and to facilitate maintenance.

(i) Kick plates shall be designed so that the areas behind them are accessible for inspection and cleaning such that they are:

1. Removable by one of the methods specified under (b)5 above or capable of being rotated open; and

2. Removable or capable of being rotated open without unlocking equipment doors.

(j) Filters or other grease extracting equipment shall be designed to be readily removable for cleaning and replacement if not designed to be cleaned in place.

(k) Exhaust ventilation hood systems in food preparation and warewashing areas including components such as hoods, fans, guards, and ducting shall be designed to prevent grease or condensation from draining or dripping onto food, equipment, utensils, linens, and single-service and single-use articles.

(l) Equipment openings, closures and deflectors shall meet the following requirements:

1. A cover or lid for equipment shall overlap the opening and be sloped to drain;

2. An opening located within the top of a unit of equipment that is designed for use with a cover or lid shall be flanged upward at least two-tenths of an inch;

3. Fixed piping, temperature measuring devices, rotary shafts, and other parts extending into equipment shall be provided with a watertight joint at the point where the item enters the equipment, except as specified under (l)4 below; and

4. If a watertight joint is not provided:

i. The piping, temperature measuring devices, rotary shafts, and other parts extending through the openings shall be equipped with an apron designed to deflect condensation, drips, and dust from openings into the food; and

ii. The opening shall be flanged as specified under (l)2 above.

(m) In equipment that dispenses or vends liquid food or ice in unpackaged form, the following requirements shall be met:

1. The delivery tube, chute, orifice, and splash surfaces directly above the container receiving the food shall be designed in a manner, such as with barriers, baffles, or drip aprons, so that drips from condensation and splash are diverted from the opening of the container receiving the food;

2. The delivery tube, chute, and orifice shall be protected from manual contact such as by being recessed;

3. The delivery tube or chute and orifice of equipment used to vend liquid food or ice in unpackaged form to self-service consumers shall be designed so that the delivery tube or chute and orifice are protected from dust, insects, rodents, and other contamination by a self-closing door if the equipment is:

i. Located in an outside area that does not otherwise afford the protection of an enclosure against the rain, windblown debris, insects, rodents, and other contaminants that are present in the environment; or

ii. Available for self-service during hours when it is not under the full-time supervision of a food employee; and

4. The dispensing equipment actuating lever or mechanism and filling device of consumer self-service beverage dispensing equipment shall be designed to prevent contact with the lip-contact surface of glasses or cups that are refilled.

(n) Equipment containing bearings and gears that require lubricants shall be designed and constructed so that the lubricant can not leak, drip, or be forced into food or onto food-contact surfaces.

(o) Beverage tubing and cold-plate beverage cooling devices shall not be installed in contact with stored ice. This subsection does not apply to cold plates that are constructed integrally with an ice storage bin.

(p) Liquid waste drain lines shall not pass through an ice machine or ice storage bin.

(q) If a condenser unit is an integral component of equipment, the condenser unit shall be separated from the food and food storage space by a dust proof barrier.

(r) Equipment compartments that are subject to accumulation of moisture due to conditions such as condensation, food or beverage drip, or water from melting ice shall be sloped to an outlet that allows complete draining.

(s) Equipment, such as dollies, pallets, racks, and skids used to store and transport large quantities of packaged food received from a supplier in a cased or overwrapped lot, shall be designed to be moved by hand or by conveniently available equipment such as hand trucks and forklifts.

(t) Food equipment that is certified or classified for sanitation by an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited certification program will be deemed to comply with 8:24-4.1 and 4.2.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:24-4.2