Ohio Administrative Code
Title 901:11 - Dairy
Chapter 901:11-2 - Ohio Manufacture Milk Rules
Section 901:11-2-36 - General construction, repair, and installation

(A) Bulk starter vats shall be constructed of stainless steel or equally corrosion-resistant metal and shall be in good repair, equipped with tight-fitting lids, and have adequate temperature controls such as valves, indicating and/or recording thermometers. New vats shall be constructed in accordance with the applicable 3-A sanitary standards.

(B) Cheese vats:

(C) Mechanical agitators shall be of sanitary construction. The carriage and track shall be constructed to prevent the dropping of dirt or grease into the vat. Metal blades, forks, or stirrers shall be constructed of stainless steel and of material approved in the 3-A sanitary standards for plastic and rubber or rubberlike materials and shall be free from rough or sharp edges which might scratch the equipment or create metal particles or shavings.

(D) Curd mill, knives, hand rakes, shovels, paddles, strainers, and miscellaneous equipment shall be constructed of stainless steel or of material approved in the 3-A sanitary standards for plastic and rubberlike material. The product contact surfaces of the curd mill shall be stainless steel. All equipment shall be constructed in a manner that they can be kept clean. The wires in the curd knives shall be stainless steel, kept tight and replaced when necessary.

(E) Hoops, forms, and followers shall be constructed of stainless steel or heavy tinned steel or of material approved in the 3-A sanitary standards for plastic and rubberlike material. If tinned, they shall be kept tinned and free from corrossion. All hoops, forms, and followers shall be kept in good repair. Drums or other special forms used to press and store cheese shall be clean and sanitary.

(F) The cheese press shall be constructed of stainless steel, approved materials as listed in 3-A sanitary standards, or of other materials acceptable to the director. All welded joints and all surfaces, seams, and openings shall be readily cleanable. Press cloths shall be maintained in good repair and in a sanitary condition. Single-service press cloths shall be used only once.

(G) The rindless cheese press used to heat seal the wrapper applied to rindless cheese shall have square interior corners, reasonably smooth interior surfaces and controls that provide uniform pressure and heat equally to all surfaces.

(H) The metal paraffin tanks shall be adequate in size, be equipped with wood to support the cheese, have heat controls, and an indicating thermometer. The cheese wax shall be kept clean.