Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 6, March 18, 2024
(a) Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils shall be clean to sight and touch.
(b) The food-contact surfaces of cooking equipment and pans shall be kept free of encrusted grease deposits and other soil accumulations.
(c) Non food-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.
(d) Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils shall be cleaned:
1. Before each use with a different type of raw animal food such as beef, fish, lamb, pork, or poultry, except as specified in (e) below;
2. Each time there is a change from working with raw foods to working with ready-to-eat foods;
3. Between uses with raw fruits and vegetables and with potentially hazardous food;
4. Before using or storing a food temperature measuring device; and
5. At any time during the operation when contamination may have occurred.
(e) Paragraph (d)1 above does not apply if the food-contact surface or utensil is in contact with a succession of different raw animal foods each requiring a higher cooking temperature than the previous food, such as preparing raw fish followed by cutting raw poultry on the same cutting board.
(f) If used with potentially hazardous food, equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils shall be cleaned throughout the day at least every four hours, except that;
1. In storage, containers of potentially hazardous food and their contents shall be maintained at temperatures specified under N.J.A.C. 8:24-3 and the containers shall be cleaned when they are empty;
2. Utensils and equipment used to prepare food in a refrigerated room or area shall be cleaned at the frequency indicated in the following chart depending upon the corresponding ambient temperature of the refrigerated room or area, also indicated in the following chart:
| Temperature | Cleaning Frequency |
| 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less | 24 hours |
| Greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit to 45 degrees Fahrenheit | 20 hours |
| Greater than 45 degrees Fahrenheit | 16 hours |
| to 50 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Greater than 50 degrees Fahrenheit | 10 hours |
| to 55 degrees Fahrenheit |
i. The cleaning frequency based on the ambient temperature of the refrigerated room or area shall be documented in the retail food establishment.
3. Containers in serving situations such as salad bars, delis, and cafeteria lines, which hold ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food that is maintained at the temperatures specified under N.J.A.C. 8:24-3, may be intermittently combined with additional supplies of the same food that is at the required temperature, and the containers shall be cleaned at least every 24 hours;
4. Temperature measuring devices may be maintained in contact with food, such as when left in a container of deli food or in a roast, held at temperatures specified under N.J.A.C. 8:24-3;
5. Equipment used for storage of packaged or unpackaged food such as a reach-in refrigerator shall be cleaned at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil residues;
6. The cleaning schedule is approved based on consideration of:
i. Characteristics of the equipment and its use;
ii. The type of food involved;
iii. The amount of food residue accumulation; and
iv. The temperature at which the food is maintained during the operation and the potential for the rapid and progressive multiplication of pathogenic or toxigenic microorganisms that are capable of causing foodborne disease; or
7. In-use utensils may be intermittently stored in a container of water in which the water is maintained at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or more and the utensils and container are cleaned at least every 24 hours or at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil residues.
(g) Except when dry cleaning methods are used as specified under (k) below, surfaces of utensils and equipment contacting food that is not potentially hazardous shall be cleaned in the following manner:
1. At any time when contamination may have occurred;
2. At least every 24 hours for iced tea dispensers and consumer self-service utensils such as tongs, scoops, or ladles;
3. Before restocking consumer self-service equipment and utensils such as condiment dispensers and display containers; and
4. In equipment such as ice bins and beverage dispensing nozzles and enclosed components of equipment such as ice makers, cooking oil storage tanks and distribution lines, beverage and syrup dispensing lines or tubes, coffee bean grinders, and water vending equipment:
i. At a frequency specified by the manufacturer; or
ii. Absent manufacturer specifications, at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil or mold.
(h) The food-contact surfaces of cooking and baking equipment shall be cleaned at least every 24 hours. This subsection does not apply to hot oil cooking and filtering equipment if it is cleaned as specified in (f)6 above.
(i) The cavities and door seals of microwave ovens shall be cleaned at least every 24 hours by using the manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedure.
(j) Non food-contact surfaces of equipment shall be cleaned at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil residues.
(k) If used, dry cleaning methods such as brushing, scraping, and vacuuming shall contact only surfaces that are soiled with dry food residues that are not potentially hazardous. Cleaning equipment used in dry cleaning food-contact surfaces may not be used for any other purpose.
(l) Food debris on equipment and utensils shall be scraped over a waste disposal unit, scupper, or garbage receptacle or shall be removed in a warewashing machine with a prewash cycle. If necessary for effective cleaning, utensils and equipment shall be preflushed, presoaked, or scrubbed with abrasives.
(m) Soiled items to be cleaned in a warewashing machine shall be loaded into racks, trays, or baskets or onto conveyors in a position that:
1. Exposes the items to the unobstructed spray from all cycles; and
2. Allows the items to drain.
(n) Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils shall be effectively washed to remove or completely loosen soils by using the manual or mechanical means necessary such as the application of detergents containing wetting agents and emulsifiers; acid, alkaline, or abrasive cleaners; hot water; brushes; scouring pads; high-pressure sprays; or ultrasonic devices. The washing procedures selected shall be based on the type and purpose of the equipment or utensil, and on the type of soil to be removed.
(o) Washed utensils and equipment shall be rinsed so that abrasives are removed and cleaning chemicals are removed or diluted through the use of water or a detergent-sanitizer solution by using one of the following procedures:
1. Use of a distinct, separate water rinse after washing and before sanitizing if using the following:
i. A three-compartment sink;
ii. Alternative manual warewashing equipment equivalent to a three-compartment sink as specified in 8:24-4.8(a)3; or
iii. A three-step washing, rinsing, and sanitizing procedure in a warewashing system for CIP equipment;
2. Use of a detergent-sanitizer as specified under 8:24-4.8(m) if using the following:
i. Alternative warewashing equipment as specified in 8:24-4.8(a)3 that is approved for use with a detergent-sanitizer; or
ii. A warewashing system for CIP equipment;
3. Use of a nondistinct water rinse that is integrated in the hot water sanitization immersion step of a two-compartment sink operation;
4. If using a warewashing machine that does not recycle the sanitizing solution as specified under (
o)5 below, or alternative manual warewashing equipment such as sprayers, use of a nondistinct water rinse that is:
i. Integrated in the application of the sanitizing solution; and
ii. Wasted immediately after each application; or
5. If using a warewashing machine that recycles the sanitizing solution for use in the next wash cycle, use of a nondistinct water rinse that is integrated in the application of the sanitizing solution.
(p) Returned empty containers intended for cleaning and refilling with food shall be cleaned and refilled in a regulated food processing plant, except as specified in (p)1 and 2 below:
1. A food-specific container for beverages may be refilled at a retail food establishment if the following requirements are met:
i. Only a beverage that is not a potentially hazardous food is used;
ii. The design of the container and of the rinsing equipment and the nature of the beverage, when considered together, allow effective cleaning at home or in the retail food establishment;
iii. Facilities for rinsing before refilling returned containers with fresh, hot water that is under pressure and not recirculated are provided as part of the dispensing system;
iv. The consumer-owned container returned to the retail food establishment for refilling is refilled for sale or service only to the same consumer; and
v. The container is refilled by either an employee of the retail food establishment or the owner of the container if the beverage system includes a contamination-free transfer process that cannot be bypassed by the container owner.
2. Consumer-owned containers that are not food-specific may be filled at a water vending machine or system.
