Current through August 26, 2024
(1) CONSTRUCTION
AND MAINTENANCE; GENERAL. Food processing plants shall be soundly constructed
and maintained in order to prevent adulteration as defined in s.
97.02,
Stats. The license holder shall maintain in a clean and sanitary condition all
buildings, facilities, and equipment used in food processing operations. The
interior and exterior portions of a food processing plant, and the premises on
which the food processing plant is located, shall be maintained in a sanitary
condition in compliance with this chapter.
(2) FLOORS, WALLS, CEILINGS, AND SERVICE
SINKS.
(a) Walls and ceilings in processing
areas shall be light colored.
(b)
Floors, walls, and ceilings in processing areas, toilet rooms, and areas used
for the cleaning or storage of equipment or utensils shall be constructed of
smooth, impervious, and easily cleanable materials. This does not prohibit the
use of easily cleanable anti-slip floors.
(c) All floors, walls, and ceilings shall be
kept clean and in good repair.
(d)
A food processing plant constructed or altered in a manner that changes the
dimensions of a processing area after June 30, 1989, or a food processing plant
that is initially licensed or is licensed to a new operator after June 30,
1989, shall conform to the following requirements:
1. The junctions of walls and floors in
processing areas shall be coved, or otherwise constructed so that each junction
does not form a right angle, to facilitate cleaning.
2. Floors that are water flushed for
cleaning, or on which water or fluid wastes are discharged, shall have an
adequate number of floor drains and be adequately sloped to ensure proper
drainage to the floor drains.
3. An
adequate number of service sinks or curbed floor drains shall be provided for
use in the cleaning of mops or wet floor cleaning tools, and for the disposal
of mop water or similar liquids.
(3) PROCESSING AREA SEPARATED.
(a) Within a food processing plant, food
processing areas shall be separated by partition or be located at an adequate
distance from other operations which may contaminate unpackaged food, so that
contamination is effectively precluded. No processing may be conducted in a
room used as living or sleeping quarters. If a food processing area shares one
or more walls with adjacent living or sleeping quarters, processing operations
shall be separated from the adjacent living or sleeping quarters by a
tight-fitting, self-closing door.
(b) If an operator of a retail establishment
serving meals also engages in food processing, under the exemption in s.
ATCP 70.06(11) (a) or
(b), that processing shall only be done in
specifically designated areas and not in areas accessible to the public such as
the retail area of a grocery store or the dining room of a
restaurant.
(4) DOORS
AND WINDOWS. Doors, windows, skylights, transoms, and other openings to the
outside shall be tight-fitting, and effectively screened or protected against
the entry of rodents, insects, birds, and other animals. Exit doors, other than
overhead doors in delivery areas, shall open outward and shall be self-closing.
External doors shall be kept closed when not in use.
(5) LIGHTING.
(a) Lighting in every area of a food
processing plant, whether natural or artificial, shall be sufficient for the
purpose for which the area is used. Artificial lights in processing areas shall
be equipped with protective shields or shatter resistant bulbs.
(b) There shall be not less than 20 foot
candles (215 lux) of illumination on all processing surfaces. On surfaces used
to inspect washed returnable food packages prior to repackaging, there shall be
not less than 100 foot candles (1075 lux) of illumination.
(c) Except as provided in par. (b), the
interior of a food processing plant shall be illuminated to the following
levels measured 3 feet above the floor:
1.
Not less than 20 foot candles (215 lux) in processing areas, equipment and
utensil cleaning areas, handwashing areas, and toilet areas.
2. Not less than 10 foot candles (108 lux) in
food storage areas.
(6) VENTILATION. There shall be adequate
ventilation in all areas where food is processed, handled, or stored; in all
areas where equipment or utensils are cleaned or sanitized; and in all dressing
rooms, locker rooms, toilet rooms, employee break rooms, and garbage or rubbish
storage areas. Ventilation shall be adequate to remove excessive heat, steam,
condensation, vapors, obnoxious odors, smoke, and fumes. Ventilation systems
shall be positioned so that exhaust air is not vented onto exposed food, or
onto clean food packages, equipment, or utensils. Intake fans shall be equipped
with filters that are readily removable for cleaning and replacement. Intake
filters shall be capable of removing at least 85% of particulate matter that is
5 microns or larger in size, or greater than 6 MERV (maximum efficiency
reporting value) rating. Exhaust fans, intake fans, ventilation ducts, and
filters shall be kept clean and in good repair, and shall be screened or
louvered to prevent contamination of food by dust, dirt, insects, or other
contaminants. Systems used to ventilate any area of a food processing plant
where exposed potentially hazardous food is handled shall be capable of
maintaining positive pressures in that area.
(7) TOILET FACILITIES.
(a) The operator shall provide sanitary
toilets in sufficient number to accommodate employees, in accordance with
applicable state and local regulations.
(b) The sanitary toilets shall be in toilet
rooms that are completely enclosed, well-lighted, and equipped with
tightfitting self-closing doors. Toilet rooms constructed, substantially
reconstructed, or extensively altered after June 30, 1989, or, if they are
located in a food processing plant that is initially licensed or licensed to a
new operator after June 30, 1989, shall be separately vented to the outside,
shall be equipped with an exhaust fan capable of creating a negative pressure
within the toilet room, and may not open directly into a food processing
area.
(c) The sanitary toilets,
toilet rooms, and fixtures shall be easily cleanable, and shall be kept clean
and in good repair.
(d) When a
toilet room is available for use by employees, it shall be equipped with an
easily cleanable covered trash receptacle and an adequate supply of toilet
tissue.
(e)
1g. Toilet rooms serving a food processing
plant shall be contiguous to the food processing plant if they are installed
after February 1, 2020, or if the food processing plant is initially licensed
or is licensed to a new operator after February 1, 2020.
1r. Toilet rooms serving a food processing
plant may be noncontiguous to the food processing plant if they were installed
before February 1, 2020, and if the food processing plant is initially licensed
or is licensed to a new operator before February 1, 2020.
2. Noncontiguous toilet rooms shall be
conveniently adjacent and accessible to the food processing plant, and meet all
applicable state and local regulations.
(f) Handwashing facilities shall be located
in or adjacent to every toilet room. Handwashing facilities serving toilet
rooms shall include hot and cold running water, soap in a soap dispenser, and a
sanitary single-service means of drying the hands. A sign directing employees
to wash their hands shall be prominently posted in every toilet room used by
employees. Handwashing facilities serving a toilet room shall comply with all
of the following requirements if they are installed, substantially
reconstructed, or extensively altered after November 1, 2009, or if they are
located in a food processing plant that is initially licensed or licensed to a
new operator after November 1, 2009:
1.
Handwashing facilities shall be served by hot and cold running water provided
through a mixing valve or combination faucet, or by potable tempered
water.
2. Faucets shall be of a
type that is not hand-operated. If a self-closing, slow-closing, or metering
faucet is used, that faucet shall provide a flow of water for at least 15
seconds without the need to reactivate the faucet.
(8) LOCKER AND LINEN FACILITIES.
The operator shall provide lockers or comparable facilities for employees to
store clothing and other personal items. The locker facility shall not be in
food processing or food storage areas, or in areas where food, packages,
equipment, or utensils are cleaned or stored. Protective clothing worn during
processing shall be stored in an orderly and sanitary manner. Soiled linen and
clothing shall be kept in non-absorbent containers or laundry bags until
removed for laundering. Soiled linen and clothing shall be removed as often as
necessary to prevent unsanitary conditions.
(9) HANDWASHING FACILITIES FOR PROCESSING
AREAS.
(a) The operator shall provide
handwashing sinks, with available hot and cold running water, for use by all
persons working in food processing areas. The sinks shall be conveniently
located for use, and shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition. A supply
of soap or detergent, and sanitary single-service means for drying hands shall
be kept available at the sink. If disposable towels are used, a clean, covered
waste receptacle with other than hand operation for the lid shall be provided
for their disposal.
(b) A
handwashing sink serving a food processing area shall comply with all of the
following requirements if it is installed, substantially reconstructed, or
extensively altered after November 1, 2009, or if it is located in a food
processing plant that is initially licensed or licensed to a new operator after
November 1, 2009:
1. It shall be located in
the processing area.
2. It shall be
served by hot and cold running water provided under pressure, through a mixing
valve or combination faucet, or by potable and tempered water.
3. It shall not be hand operated.
(c) An automatic handwashing
device may be substituted for a handwashing sink if the automatic handwashing
device operates in a safe and effective manner.
(d) No handwashing sink may be used to clean,
sanitize, or store equipment or utensils.
(10) CLEANING FACILITIES.
(a) If equipment, utensils, or food packages
are cleaned or sanitized manually, the food processing plant shall be equipped
with wash and rinse sinks which are suitable for all manual cleaning and
sanitizing operations. Sinks shall be conveniently located and adequate in
number. Each sink shall be constructed of stainless steel or other approved
materials. Each sink shall have at least 2 compartments. A sink installed after
June 30, 1989, or a sink in a food processing plant that is initially licensed
or is licensed to a new operator after June 30, 1989, shall have at least 3
compartments for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing equipment and
utensils.
(b) Each compartment in a
manual warewashing sink shall be large enough to accommodate the immersion of
at least 50% of the largest item to be cleaned or sanitized in the sink. Every
sink compartment shall be served by hot and cold running water, and shall be
cleaned prior to each use.
(c)
Drain boards shall be provided in connection with every warewashing sink. Drain
boards shall be large enough to accommodate soiled equipment and utensils prior
to washing, and clean equipment and utensils after they are sanitized. Drain
boards shall be located and constructed so they do not interfere with washing
and sanitizing operations. This paragraph does not prohibit the use of easily
movable dish tables as drain boards if the dish tables comply with this
paragraph.
(d) Brushes and cleaning
tools shall be kept clean and in good repair. Wiping cloths used to clean
equipment and utensils shall be cleaned and sanitized daily and stored in an
approved sanitizing solution between uses. Sanitizing solutions for wiping
cloths shall be changed at least daily. Wiping cloths used to clean food
contact surfaces of equipment and utensils shall not be used for any other
purpose. Single service disposable towels may be used in place of reusable
cloths if they are discarded after each use.
(e) If a mechanical system is used to clean
or sanitize equipment, utensils, or food containers, the mechanical system
shall be designed, installed, and maintained so that it is fully effective for
the purpose used.
(11)
EXTERIOR PREMISES. The premises surrounding a food processing plant shall be
well drained and shall be kept in a clean and orderly condition. The premises
shall be kept free of accumulations of garbage and refuse, and other potential
health nuisances. Driveways and parking lots shall be surfaced or maintained to
minimize airborne dust and dirt.
(12) PLUMBING SYSTEM AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL.
Sewage and waste materials from a food processing plant shall be removed in a
sanitary manner, in compliance with applicable state and local regulations. All
plumbing, plumbing fixtures, and equipment shall be designed, installed, and
maintained to prevent backflow, back siphonage, and cross-connections.
Note: Plumbing and plumbing fixtures are
subject to the requirements of chs.
SPS
381 to 387, enforced by the department of safety and
professional services.
(13)
GARBAGE AND REFUSE DISPOSAL. Garbage and refuse shall not be allowed to
accumulate in or around a food processing plant. Garbage and refuse shall be
removed as often as necessary to maintain the premises in a clean and sanitary
condition. Garbage storage areas shall be constructed and maintained so that
they do not attract or harbor insects, rodents, or other animals. Garbage and
refuse shall be held in durable, leak-proof, easily cleanable, and
pest-resistant containers. Containers shall be kept covered with tight-fitting
lids, and shall be cleaned when necessary to prevent insanitary conditions.
Garbage and refuse shall not be burned on the premises, except in compliance
with state and local laws. Garbage and refuse shall not be burned on the
premises if burning may contaminate food.
(14) CONTROL OF PESTS. The operator shall
take effective measures, as necessary, to control insects, rodents, and other
pests in a food processing plant. Pesticides and other hazardous substances
shall not be stored or used in a manner which may contaminate food, or which
may constitute a hazard to employees or the public. Pesticides shall not be
stored, handled, or used in a manner inconsistent with label directions, or in
a negligent manner.
Note: Pesticide storage and use must comply
with ss.
94.67 to
94.71,
Stats., and ch. ATCP 29. Pesticides must be registered for use by the U.S.
environmental protection agency or by the department.
(15) CONSTRUCTION; PLAN REVIEW. Before a food
processing plant is constructed, substantially reconstructed, or extensively
altered, the operator shall notify the department in writing. Plans and
specifications for the construction, reconstruction, or alteration may be
submitted to the department for review before the work is begun. Plans and
specifications shall be available for review by the department upon
request.
(16) EGG HANDLING
FACILITIES. Egg handling facilities shall meet the requirements in ss.
ATCP 88.06 and 88.08.
(17) MAPLE SAP CONCENTRATION FACILITIES. A
facility licensed as a food processing plant and used solely for the
concentration of maple sap, shall meet the requirements of s.
ATCP 87.14.
