Alaska Administrative Code
Title 18 - Environmental Conservation
Chapter 31 - Alaska Food Code
Article 2 - Food Care
18 AAC 31.222 - Food protection: food and ingredients
Universal Citation: 18 AK Admin Code 18 AAC 31.222
Current through August 30, 2024
(a) The operator of a food establishment shall take measures to prevent contamination of food by other food and food ingredients during receiving, storage, preparation, holding, and display and shall
(1) protect
food containers that are received packaged together in a case or overwrap from
cuts when the case or overwrap is opened;
(2) protect food from cross-contamination by
separating
(A) raw animal food during storage,
preparation, holding, and display from raw, ready-to-eat food and cooked,
ready-to-eat food;
(B) except when
combined as ingredients, types of raw animal foods from each other during
storage, preparation, holding, and display by
(i) using separate equipment for each type or
arranging each type of food in equipment so that cross-contamination of one
type with another is prevented; and
(ii) preparing each type of food at different
times or in separate areas;
(C) stored products held by the operator for
credit, redemption, or return to the distributor, such as damaged, spoiled, or
recalled products from food, food-contact surfaces, linens, or single-service
or single-use articles; and
(D)
vegetables or fruit before it is washed as specified in (7) of this subsection
from ready-to-eat food;
(3) cover food during storage using packages,
containers, or wrappings, except
(A) quarters,
sides, or large cuts of raw meat or slab bacon that are hung on clean,
sanitized hooks or racks if no part of the meat touches walls, floors, boxes,
or shelving, and food is not stored under the meat;
(B) whole, uncut, raw fruits and vegetables
and nuts in the shell, that require peeling or hulling before
consumption;
(C) whole, uncut,
processed meats, including country hams and smoked or cured sausages, that are
placed on clean, sanitized racks;
(D) molluscan shellfish; or
(E) food being cooled, as specified under
18 AAC 31.234;
(4) store and display food and
containers of food
(A) at least six inches
above the floor on storage or display shelving or equipment in a clean, dry
location where the food is not exposed to splash, dust, or other contamination,
except that
(i) food in cases, or large
containers of packaged food, such as flour and sugar, may be stored on dollies,
skids, or open-ended pallets if that equipment is easily movable by hand or
with the use of pallet-moving equipment that is available on the premises at
all times; and
(ii) large,
impervious, covered containers or cases of food, metal beverage containers, and
food packaged in cans, glass, or other sealed, waterproof containers need not
be elevated if the container is not exposed to floor moisture and the floor is
clean; and
(B) in a
location that will not cause contamination; a location that may cause
contamination includes a locker room, toilet room, dressing room, garbage room,
mechanical room, or under an exposed sewer line, an open stairwell, a leaking
refrigeration condenser, or a leaking or dripping waterline, including a
leaking automatic fire sprinkler head or under a line on which water has
condensed;
(5) label
containers holding food or food ingredients that are removed from the original
package for use in the food establishment with the common name of the food,
except molluscan shellfish subject to
18 AAC 31.200 and containers
holding food that can be readily and unmistakably recognized;
(6) prevent contamination from ice by
ensuring
(A) packaged food is not stored in
direct contact with ice or water if the food is subject to the entry of water
because of the nature of its packaging, wrapping, or container or its
positioning in the ice or water;
(B) except for whole, raw fruits and
vegetables, and cut, raw vegetables and tofu, unpackaged food is not stored in
direct contact with undrained ice; raw poultry or raw seafood that is received
immersed in ice in shipping containers may remain in that condition while in
storage awaiting preparation, display, service, or sale;
(C) ice used to cool the exterior surfaces of
food, packaged food, food containers, or food-contact surfaces is not served to
consumers or otherwise used as food; and
(D) ice for use as food or as a cooling
medium is made from potable water;
(7) except for whole, raw fruits and
vegetables that are intended for washing by the consumer before consumption,
wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly with potable water to remove soil and
other contamination before those fruits and vegetables are cut, combined with
other ingredients, cooked, served, or offered for human consumption in a
ready-to-eat form;
(8) prevent
contamination from whole eggs that have not been pasteurized; and
(9) clean hermetically sealed containers of
food or visible soil before opening.
(b) The operator of a food establishment shall ensure that food is protected from contamination that may result from adulteration due to the addition of an unsafe or unapproved food additive or an unsafe or unapproved level of an approved food additive.
(c) The operator of a food establishment, except a food processing establishment subject to 18 AAC 31.700 - 18 AAC 31.770, shall ensure that
(1) a sulfiting agent is not applied to fresh
fruits and vegetables intended for raw consumption; and
(2) fresh fruits and vegetables intended for
raw consumption that have been treated with a sulfiting agent before receipt by
the food establishment are not served or sold in the establishment, except that
grapes that have been treated with a sulfiting agent before receipt may be
served or sold.
Authority:AS 17.20.005
AS 17.20.020
AS 17.20.040
AS 17.20.072
AS 17.20.180
AS 17.20.290
AS 44.46.020
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Alaska may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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