Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Rooms
and compartments - Coolers and freezers. The coolers and freezers shall be
equipped with facilities for maintaining temperature and humidity conditions to
protect the quality and condition of the products during storage or during
tempering prior to further processing. Coolers and freezers shall be kept
clean, orderly, free from insects, rodents, and mold, and maintained in good
repair. Coolers and freezers shall be adequately lighted and proper circulation
of air shall be maintained at all times. The floors, walls, and ceilings shall
be of such construction as to permit thorough cleaning.
(b) Churn rooms. Churn rooms, in addition to
meeting standards of proper construction and sanitation, shall be equipped to
ensure that the air is kept free from odors and vapors by means of adequate
ventilation and exhaust systems or air conditioning and heating
facilities.
(c) Print and bulk
packaging rooms. Rooms used for packaging print or bulk butter and related
products shall, in addition to meeting standards of proper construction and
sanitation, provide an atmosphere relatively free from mold (no more than 10
mold colonies per cubic foot of air), dust or other airborne contamination and
be maintained at a reasonable room temperature.
(d) Equipment and utensils - General
construction, repair, and installation. All equipment and utensils necessary to
the manufacture of butter and related products shall meet the same general
requirements as outlined in §
217.74
of this title (relating to Requirements for Milk Plants Producing Dairy
Products). In addition, the following requirements shall be met for other
equipment.
(1) Continuous churn. All
product-contact surfaces shall be of non-corrosive material. All nonmetallic
product-contact surfaces shall comply with 3-A Standards for Plastic, Rubber,
and Rubber-Like Materials. All product-contact surfaces shall be readily
accessible for cleaning and inspection.
(2) Conventional churn. Churns shall be
constructed of aluminum, stainless steel or equally corrosion-resistant metal,
free from cracks, and in good repair. All gasket material shall be fat
resistant, nontoxic and durable. Seals around the churn doors shall be
tight.
(3) Bulk butter trucks,
boats and packers. Bulk butter trucks, boats and packers shall be constructed
of aluminum, stainless steel or equally corrosion-resistant metal free from
cracks, seams and must have a surface that is smooth and easily
cleanable.
(4) Butter, frozen or
plastic cream melting machine. Shavers, shredders or melting machines used for
rapid melting of butter, frozen or plastic cream shall be of stainless steel or
equally corrosion-resistant metal, sanitary construction, and readily cleanable
in accordance with 3-A Sanitary Standards.
(5) Printing equipment. All printing
equipment shall be designed to be readily demountable for cleaning of
product-contact surfaces. All product-contact surfaces shall be aluminum,
stainless steel or equally corrosion-resistant metal, or plastic, rubber and
rubber like material which meet 3-A Standards, except that conveyors may be
constructed of material which can be properly cleaned and maintained in good
repair.
(6) Brine tanks. Brine
tanks used for the treating of parchment liners shall be constructed of
non-corrosive material and have an adequate and safe means of heating the salt
solution for the treatment of the liners. The tank shall also be provided with
a drainage outlet.
(7) Starter
vats. Bulk starter vats shall be of stainless steel or equally
corrosion-resistant metal and constructed according to applicable 3-A Sanitary
Standards. The vats shall be in good repair, equipped with tight-fitting lids,
and have temperature controls.
(e) Operations and operating procedures for
pasteurization. The milk or cream shall be pasteurized at the plant where the
milk or cream is processed into the finished product.
(1) Cream for buttermaking. The cream for
buttermaking shall be pasteurized at a temperature of not less than 165 degrees
Fahrenheit for not less than 30 minutes or at a minimum temperature of not less
than 185 degrees Fahrenheit for not less than 15 seconds. Provided, that
nothing shall be construed as barring any other process found equivalent to
pasteurization for milk and milk products, which has been recognized by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as provided in
21 U.S.C.
§343(h)(3) of the
Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Only such FDA recognized processes
and no other shall be considered by the department.
(2) Cream for plastic or frozen cream. The
pasteurization of cream for plastic or frozen cream shall be accomplished in
the same manner as in subsection (a) of this section, except that the
temperature for the vat method shall be not less then 170 degrees Fahrenheit
for not less than 30 minutes, or not less than 190 degrees Fahrenheit for not
less than 15 seconds. Provided, that nothing shall be construed as barring any
other process found equivalent to pasteurization for milk and milk products,
which has been recognized by FDA as provided in
21 U.S.C.
§343(h)(3) of the
FFDCA. Only such FDA recognized processes and no other shall be considered by
the department.
(f)
Composition and wholesomeness. All ingredients used in the manufacture of
butter and related products shall be subject to inspection and shall be
wholesome and free from impurities. Chlorinating facilities shall be provided
for butter wash water if needed, and all other precautions shall be taken to
prevent contamination of products.
(g) Containers.
(1) Containers used for the packaging of
butter and related products shall be containers or packaging material that will
protect the quality of the contents in regular channels of trade. Caps or
covers which extend over the lip of the container shall be used on all cups or
tubs containing two pounds or less to protect the product from contamination
during subsequent handling.
(2)
Liners and wrappers.
(A) Supplies of
parchment liners, wrappers, and other packaging material shall be protected
against dust, mold, and other possible contamination.
(B) Prior to use, parchment liners for bulk
butter packages shall be completely immersed in a boiling salt in a container
constructed of stainless steel or other equally noncorrosive material. The
liners shall be maintained in the solution for not less than 30 minutes. The
solution should consist of at least 15 pounds of salt for every 85 pounds of
water and shall be strengthened or changed as frequently as necessary to keep
the solution full strength and in good condition.
(C) Other liners such as polyethylene shall
be treated or handled in such a manner as to prevent contamination of the liner
prior to filling.
(3)
Filling bulk butter containers. The lined butter containers shall be protected
from possible contamination prior to filling.
(4) Printing and packaging. Printing and
packaging of consumer size containers of butter shall be conducted under
sanitary conditions.
(5) General
identification. Commercial bulk shipping containers shall be legibly marked
with the name of the product, net weight, name and address of manufacturer,
processor or distributor or other assigned plant identification (manufacturer's
lot number, churn number, etc.). Packages of plastic or frozen cream shall be
marked with the percent of milkfat.
(6) Storage of finished product in coolers.
All products shall be kept under refrigeration at temperatures of 40 degrees
Fahrenheit or lower after packaging and until ready for distribution or
shipment. The products shall not be placed directly on floors or exposed to
foreign odors or conditions such as drippage due to condensation which might
cause package or product damage.
(7) Storage of finished product in freezer.
(A) Sharp freezers. Plastic cream or frozen
cream intended for storage shall be placed in quick freezer rooms immediately
after packaging, for rapid and complete freezing within 24 hours. The packages
shall be piled or spaced in such a manner that air can freely circulate between
and around the packages. The rooms shall be maintained at -10 degrees
Fahrenheit or lower and shall be equipped to provide sufficient high-velocity
air circulation for rapid freezing. After the products have been completely
frozen, they may be transferred to a freezer storage room for continued
storage.
(B) Freezer storage.
(i) The room shall be maintained at a
temperature of 0 degree Fahrenheit or lower. Adequate air circulation is
desirable.
(ii) Butter intended to
be held more than 30 days shall be placed in a freezer room as soon as possible
after packaging. If not frozen before being placed in the freezer, the packages
shall be spaced in such a manner as to permit rapid freezing and repiled, if
necessary, at a later time.
