Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 6, March 18, 2024
(a) The floors, floor coverings, walls, wall coverings, and ceilings shall be designed, constructed, and installed so that they are smooth and easily cleanable, except as specified under (d) below and except that antislip floor coverings or applications may be used for safety reasons.
(b) Utility line requirements shall include the following:
1. Utility service lines and pipes shall not be unnecessarily exposed.
2. Exposed utility service lines and pipes shall be installed so they do not obstruct or prevent cleaning of the floors, walls, or ceilings.
3. Exposed horizontal utility service lines and pipes may not be installed on the floor.
(c) Floor and wall juncture requirements shall include the following:
1. In retail food establishments in which cleaning methods other than water flushing are used for cleaning floors, the floor and wall junctures shall be covered and closed to no larger than one thirty-second inch.
2. The floors in retail food establishments in which water flush cleaning methods are used shall be provided with drains and be graded to drain, and the floor and wall junctures shall be covered and sealed.
(d) Floor carpeting, restrictions and installation requirements shall include the following:
1. A floor covering such as carpeting or similar material shall not be installed as a floor covering in food preparation areas, walk-in refrigerators, warewashing areas, toilet room areas where handwashing sinks, toilets, and urinals are located, refuse storage rooms, or other areas where the floor is subject to moisture, flushing, or spray cleaning methods.
2. If carpeting is installed as a floor covering in areas other than those specified under (a) above, it shall be:
i. Securely attached to the floor with a durable mastic, by using a stretch and tack method, or by another method; and
ii. Installed tightly against the wall under the coving or installed away from the wall with a space between the carpet and the wall and with the edges of the carpet secured by metal stripping or some other means.
(e) Mats and duckboards shall be designed to be removable and easily cleanable.
(f) Wall and ceiling covering materials shall be attached so that they are easily cleanable, except that in areas used only for dry storage, concrete, porous blocks, or bricks used for indoor wall construction shall be finished and sealed to provide a smooth, nonabsorbent, easily cleanable surface.
(g) Requirements for attachments to walls and ceilings shall include the following:
1. Attachments to walls and ceilings such as light fixtures, mechanical room ventilation system components, vent covers, wall mounted fans, decorative items, and other attachments shall be easily cleanable, except as specified in (g)2 below.
2. In a consumer area, wall and ceiling surfaces and decorative items and attachments that are provided for ambiance need not meet this requirement if they are kept clean.
(h) Studs, joists, and rafters shall not be exposed in areas subject to moisture. This requirement does not apply to temporary retail food establishments.
(i) Requirements for protective shielding to light bulbs shall include the following:
1. Light bulbs shall be shielded, coated, or otherwise shatter-resistant in areas where there is exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; or unwrapped single-service and single-use articles, except as specified in (i)2 below.
2. Shielded, coated, or otherwise shatter-resistant bulbs need not be used in areas used only for storing food in unopened packages, if:
i. The integrity of the packages cannot be affected by broken glass falling onto them; and
ii. The packages are capable of being cleaned of debris from broken bulbs before the packages are opened.
3. An infrared or other heat lamp shall be protected against breakage by a shield surrounding and extending beyond the bulb so that only the face of the bulb is exposed.
(j) Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems shall be designed and installed so that make-up air intake and exhaust vents do not cause contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, equipment, or utensils.
(k) The presence of insects, rodents, and other pests shall be controlled to minimize their presence on the premises by:
1. Routinely inspecting incoming shipments of food and supplies;
2. Routinely inspecting the premises for evidence of pests;
3. Using methods, if pests are found, such as trapping devices or other means of pest control as specified under 8:24-7.2(c), (l), and (m); and
4. Eliminating harborage conditions.
(l) Dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, and other pests shall be removed from control devices and the premises at a frequency that prevents their accumulation, decomposition, or the attraction of pests.
(m) Requirements for design and installation of insect control devices shall include the following:
1. Insect control devices that are used to electrocute or stun flying insects shall be designed to retain the insect within the device.
2. Insect control devices shall be installed so that:
i. The devices are not located over a food preparation area; and
ii. Dead insects and insect fragments are prevented from being impelled onto or falling on exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; and unwrapped single-service and single-use articles.
(n) Requirements for the protection of outer openings shall include the following:
1. Except as specified in (n)2 and 3 below, outer openings of a retail food establishment shall be protected against the entry of insects and rodents by:
i. Filling or closing holes and other gaps along floors, walls and ceilings;
ii. Closed, tight-fitting windows; and
iii. Solid self-closing, tight-fitting doors.
2. Paragraph (n)1 above does not apply if a retail food establishment opens into a larger structure, such as a mall, airport, or office building, or into an attached structure, such as a porch, and the outer openings from the larger or attached structure are protected against the entry of insects and rodents.
3. Except as specified in (n)2 above and (n)4 below, if the windows or doors of a retail food establishment, or of a larger structure within which a retail food establishment is located, are kept open for ventilation or other purposes or a temporary retail food establishment is not provided with windows and doors as specified under (n)1 above, the openings shall be protected against the entry of insects and rodents by:
i. Sixteen mesh to one-inch screens;
ii. Properly designed and installed air curtains; or
iii. Other effective means.
4. Paragraph (n)3 above does not apply if flying insects and other pests are absent due to the location of the establishment, the weather, or other limiting condition.
(o) Perimeter walls and roofs of a retail food establishment shall effectively protect the establishment from the weather and the entry of insects, rodents, and other animals.
(p) Servicing areas shall be provided with overhead protection except that areas used only for the loading of water or the discharge of sewage and other liquid waste, through the use of a closed system of hoses, need not be provided with overhead protection.
(q) Exterior walking and driving surfaces shall be graded to drain.
(r) Outdoor refuse areas shall be curbed and graded to drain to collect and dispose of liquid waste that results from the refuse and from cleaning the area and waste receptacles.
(s) A private home, a room used as living or sleeping quarters, or an area directly opening into a room used as living or sleeping quarters may not be used for conducting retail food establishment operations.
(t) Living or sleeping quarters located on the premises of a retail food establishment such as those provided for lodging registration clerks or resident managers shall be separated from rooms and areas used for retail food establishment operations by complete partitioning and solid self-closing doors.
