Current through Bulletin 2024-06, March 15, 2024
(1) Materials
that are used in the construction of utensils and food -contact surfaces of
equipment may not allow the migration of deleterious substances or impart
colors, odors, or tastes to food and under normal use conditions shall be:
(a) safe;
(b) durable, corrosion-resistant, and
nonabsorbent;
(c) sufficient in
weight and thickness to withstand repeated washing;
(d) finished to have a smooth, easily
cleanable surface; and
(e)
resistant to pitting, chipping, crazing, scratching, scoring, distortion, and
decomposition.
(2)
(a) Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment
that are exposed to splash, spillage, or other food soiling or that require
frequent cleaning shall be constructed of a corrosion-resistant, nonabsorbent,
and smooth material.
(b)
Nonfood-contact surfaces shall be free of unnecessary ledges, projections, and
crevices, and designed and constructed to allow easy cleaning and to facilitate
maintenance.
(3) Copper
and copper alloys such as brass may not be used in contact with a food that has
a pH below 6 such as vinegar, fruit juice, or wine or for a fitting or tubing
installed between a backflow prevention device and a carbonator.
(4) Hot oil filtering equipment shall be
readily accessible for filter replacement and cleaning of the filter and meet
the requirements of Subsection
R392-102-8(1).
(5) Galvanized metal may not be used for
utensils and food -contact surfaces of equipment that are used in contact with
acidic food.
(6) Sponges may not be
used in contact with cleaned and sanitized or in-use food-contact
surfaces.
(7)
(a) Except as specified in Subsections (b),
(c), and (d) of this section, wood and wood wicker may not be used as a
food-contact surface.
(b) Hard
maple or an equivalently hard, close-grained wood may be used for:
(i) cutting boards; cutting blocks; bakers'
tables; and utensils such as rolling pins, doughnut dowels, salad bowls, and
chopsticks; and
(ii) wooden paddles
used in confectionery operations for pressure scraping kettles when manually
preparing confections at a temperature of 110 degrees C (230 degrees F) or
above.
(c) Whole, uncut,
raw fruits and vegetables, and nuts in the shell may be kept in the wood
shipping containers in which they were received, until the fruits, vegetables,
or nuts are used.
(d) If the nature
of the food requires removal of rinds, peels, husks, or shells before
consumption, the whole, uncut, raw food may be kept in:
(i) untreated wood containers; or
(ii) treated wood containers if the
containers are treated with a preservative that meets the requirements
specified in 21 CFR
178.3800 Preservatives for
wood.
(8)
Multiuse food -contact surfaces shall be:
(a)
smooth;
(b) free of breaks, open
seams, cracks, chips, inclusions, pits, and similar imperfections;
(c) free of sharp internal angles, corners,
and crevices;
(d) finished to have
smooth welds and joints; and
(e)
accessible for cleaning and inspection.
(9)
(a)
Equipment that is fixed in place because it is not easily movable shall be
installed so that it is:
(i) spaced to allow
access for cleaning along the sides, behind, and above the equipment;
(ii) spaced from adjoining equipment, walls,
and ceilings a distance of not more than one millimeter or one thirty-second
inch; or
(iii) sealed to adjoining
equipment or walls, if the equipment is exposed to spillage or
seepage.
(b)
Counter-mounted equipment that is not easily movable shall be installed to
allow cleaning of the equipment and areas underneath and around the equipment
by being:
(i) sealed; or
(ii) elevated on legs to provide not less
than four inches of clearance.
(10) Floor-mounted equipment that is not
easily movable, if used in a food truck, shall be sealed to the floor or
elevated on legs that provide at least a six inch (15 centimeter) clearance
between the floor and the equipment.
(11) Exhaust ventilation hood systems in food
preparation and warewashing areas including components such as hoods, fans,
guards, and ducting shall be designed to prevent grease or condensation from
draining or dripping onto food, equipment, utensils, linens, and single-service
and single-use articles.
(12)
Filters or other grease extracting equipment shall be designed to be readily
removable for cleaning and replacement if not designed to be cleaned in
place.
(13)
(a) Drainboards, utensil racks, or tables
large enough to accommodate all soiled and cleaned items that may accumulate
during hours of operation shall be provided in a food truck for necessary
utensil holding before cleaning and after sanitizing.
(b) Sufficient space shall be provided for
storage of soiled and cleaned items that may accumulate during hours of
operation, such as on drainboards, utensil racks, or tables.
(c) Soiled and clean items shall be stored
separately and in a manner that protects clean items from
contamination.
(14) A
plumbing fixture such as a handwashing sink or toilet shall be easily
cleanable.
(15)
(a) Equipment for cooling and heating food,
and holding cold and hot food, shall be:
(i)
sufficient in number and capacity; and
(ii) capable of consistently maintaining food
temperatures as specified under Section
R392-102-12.
(b) The mobile food business operator shall
maintain an accurate and operational food temperature measuring device in each
mechanically refrigerated unit.
(c)
In a mechanically refrigerated or hot food storage unit, the sensor or
thermometer shall be located to measure the ambient temperature in the warmest
part of a mechanically refrigerated unit and in the coolest part of a hot food
storage unit.
(16) A
mobile food business operator with a menu offering any TCS foods shall equip
the mobile food business with at least one readily accessible and properly
calibrated food temperature measuring device that is easily readable and may
not have a sensor or stem constructed of glass unless the thermometer with a
glass sensor or stem is encased in a shatterproof coating such a candy
thermometer.
(17)
(a) When manual warewashing of utensils or
food-contact equipment is done on a food truck or food cart, the mobile food
business operator shall provide a test kit or other device that accurately
measures the concentration in mg/L of chemical sanitizing solutions.
(b) If hot water is used for sanitization in
manual warewashing operations in a mobile food business, the sanitizing
compartment of the sink shall be:
(i) designed
with an integral heating device that is capable of maintaining water at a
temperature not less than 171 degrees F; and
(ii) provided with a rack or basket to allow
complete immersion of equipment and utensils into the hot water.
(18)
(a) Receptacles and waste handling units for
refuse and recyclables and for use with materials containing food residue shall
be durable, cleanable, insect- and rodent-resistant, leakproof, and
nonabsorbent.
(b) Receptacles and
waste handling units for refuse and recyclables used with materials containing
food residue and used outside the mobile food business shall be:
(i) designed and constructed to have
tight-fitting lids, doors, or covers; and
(ii) maintained in good repair.
(c) Refuse and recyclables shall
be stored in receptacles or waste handling units so that they are inaccessible
to insects and rodents.
(d)
Receptacles and waste handling units for refuse and recyclables shall be kept
covered inside a food truck:
(i) if the
receptacles and units contain food residue and are not in continuous use;
or
(ii) after they are
filled.
(19)
Refuse and recyclables shall be removed from the mobile food business premises
at a frequency that will minimize the development of objectionable odors and
other conditions that attract or harbor insects and rodents.
(20) Except when exempted by a local health
officer, a mobile food business operator shall furnish or equip a mobile food
business with adequate electrical power to ensure uninterrupted
service.