Section 288.732 - Cheese; additional duties of manufacturer or processorIn addition to the requirements imposed under section 170, a person that manufactures or processes cheese shall do all of the following:
(a) Provide adequate sanitary facilities for the disposal of whey and take precautions to minimize flies, insects, and the development of objectionable odors at disposal sites.(b) Handle whey or whey products intended for human food at all times in a sanitary manner in accordance with the procedures specified in this act for handling milk and dairy products.(c) Conduct the packaging of rindless cheese or the cutting and repackaging of all styles of bulk cheese under rigid sanitary conditions and ensure that the atmosphere of the packaging rooms, the equipment, and the packaging material are free from mold and bacterial contamination.(d) Legibly mark each bulk cheese with the name of the product, code or date of manufacture, name and address of manufacturer, and vat number or code number of the manufacturer.(e) Legibly mark each consumer-sized container with the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor and legibly mark the net weight of the contents, the name of product, and any other information required by the department.(f) Ensure that conveyors are constructed of material approved by the department and maintained in good repair.(g) Ensure that the grinders or shredders used in the preparation of trimmed and cleaned natural cheese for cookers are adequate in size, with product contact surfaces of corrosion resistant material, and constructed to prevent contamination of the cheese and allow thorough cleaning of all parts and product contact surfaces.(h) Ensure that each cooker is all of the following:(i) Steam jacketed or of direct steam type.(ii) Constructed of stainless steel or other equally corrosion resistant material with all product contact surfaces readily accessible for cleaning.(iii) Equipped with an indicating thermometer.(iv) Equipped with a temperature recording device.(v) Equipped with a recording thermometer stem placed in the cooker if time charts satisfactory to the department are used or placed in the hotwell or filler hopper.(i) Ensure either that steam check valves on direct steam type cookers are mounted flush with cooker wall, constructed of stainless steel, and designed to prevent the backup of product into the steam line or that each steam line is constructed of stainless steel pipes and fittings that can be readily cleaned.(j) If direct steam is applied to the product, ensure that only culinary steam is used.(k) Ensure each of the following: (i) That except for sight ports, the hoppers of all fillers are covered.(ii) That if the department determines necessary, the hopper has an agitator to prevent buildup on side walls.(iii) That the filler valves and head are kept in good repair and capable of accurate measurements.(iv) That natural cheese is cleaned free of all nonedible portions.(v) That paraffin, wrappings, rind surface, mold, or unclean areas or any other part of natural cheese that is by department standards unwholesome or unappetizing is removed.(vi) That each batch of cheese within a cooker, including optional ingredients, is thoroughly commingled and pasteurized at a temperature of at least 161°F (72°C) for not less than 30 seconds.(vii) That cheese particles or ingredients do not enter the cooker batch after the cooker batch of cheese has reached the final heating temperature.(viii) After holding for the required period of time, that the hot cheese is emptied from the cooker as quickly as possible.(ix) That containers either lined or unlined are assembled and stored in a sanitary manner to prevent contamination.(x) That filler crews handle containers with extreme care and observance of personal cleanliness.(xi) That preforming and assembling of pouch liners and containers are kept to a minimum and the supply rotated to limit the length of time a product is exposed to possible contamination prior to filling.2001, Act 267, Eff. 2/8/2002.