(a) Food Contact Surfaces; Design, Construction, Maintenance, Installation, Location.
(1) All multi-use equipment and utensils shall be designed and fabricated for durability under conditions of normal use and shall be resistant to denting, buckling, distortion, pitting, chipping, cracking, scratching, and decomposition.
(2) If solder is used, it shall be composed of safe materials and be corrosion-resistant. Multi-use equipment and utensils shall be smooth and easily cleanable and shall be constructed and repaired with safe materials, including finishing materials that are corrosion-resistant and nonabsorbent.
(3) Food contact surfaces intended for multi-use shall be smooth, easily cleanable, free of difficult-to-clean internal corners and crevices, and free of breaks, open seams, cracks, chips, pits, and similar imperfections.
(4) Equipment, utensils, and single-service articles shall not impart odors, color, or taste, or contribute to the contamination of foods. Single-service articles shall be made from clean, sanitary, safe materials.
(5) Safe plastic, rubber, or rubber-like materials that are of sufficient weight and thickness to permit cleaning and sanitizing by normal dishwashing methods and that meet the general requirements set forth in this regulation are permitted for repeated use.
(6) Single-use containers shall not be reused.
(7) Hard maple or equivalently nonabsorbent material that meets the general requirements set forth in this regulation may be used for cutting blocks, cutting boards, bakers tables, stirring paddles and similar surfaces. Wood may be used for single-service articles such as stirrers, or ice cream spoons.
(8) Cast iron may be used as a food contact surface only if the surface is heated, such as in grills, griddle tops, and skillets.
(9) Within food contact surfaces, threads shall be designed to facilitate cleaning. Ordinary "V” type threads are prohibited, except that in equipment such as ice makers, hot oil cooking equipment, or hot oil filtering systems, "V" threads shall be minimized.
(10) Equipment containing bearings and gears requiring unsafe lubricants shall be designed and constructed so that the lubricants cannot leak, drip, or be forced into food or onto food contact surfaces. Only safe lubricants shall be used on equipment designed to receive lubrication of bearings and gears on or within food contact surfaces.
(11) Tubing conveying beverages or beverage ingredients to dispensing heads may be in contact with stored ice if the tubing is fabricated from safe materials, is grommeted at entry and exit points to prevent moisture (condensation) from entering the ice-making machine or the ice storage bin and is kept clean. Drainage or drainage tubes from dispensing units shall not pass through the ice-making machine or the ice storage bins.
(12) Unless designed for in-place cleaning, food contact surfaces shall be accessible for cleaning and inspection:
A. Without being disassembled;
B. By disassembling without the use of tools; or
C. By easy disassembling with the use of only simple tools such as a mallet, a screwdriver, or an open-end wrench kept available near the equipment.
(13) Equipment intended for in-place cleaning shall be so designed and fabricated that:
A. Cleaning and sanitizing solutions can be circulated throughout a fixed system using an effective cleaning and sanitizing regimen;
B. Cleaning and sanitizing solution will contact all interior food contact surfaces; and
C. The system is self-draining or capable of being completely evacuated.
(14) Fixed equipment designed and fabricated to be cleaned and sanitized by pressure spray methods shall have sealed electrical wiring, switches, and connections.
(b) Non-Food Contact Surfaces - Design, Construction, Maintenance, Installation, Location.
(1) Surfaces of equipment not intended for contact with food but which are exposed to splash or food debris or which otherwise require frequent cleaning shall be designed and fabricated to be smooth, washable, free of unnecessary ledges, projections, or crevices, readily accessible for cleaning, and shall be of such material and in such repair as to be easily maintained in a clean and sanitary condition
(2) Ventilation hoods and devices for cooking appliances shall be designed and installed according to Chapter 4101:2-30 of the Administrative Code (Article 5 of the Mechanical Code Section, "Ohio Basic Building Code”), as amended, to prevent grease or condensation from collecting on walls and ceilings and from dripping into food or onto food contact surfaces. Filters or other grease extracting equipment shall be readily removable for cleaning and replacement if not designed to be cleaned in- place.
(3) Aisles and working spaces between units of equipment and walls shall be unobstructed and of sufficient width to permit employees to perform their duties readily without contamination of food or food contact surfaces by clothing or personal contact. All easily movable storage equipment such as pallets, racks, and dollies shall be positioned to provide accessibility to working areas.
(4) Equipment, including ice-making machines and ice storage equipment, shall not be located under exposed or unprotected sewer lines or water lines, open stairwells, or other sources of contamination. This requirement does not apply to automatic fire protection sprinkler heads that may be required by law.
(5) Unless sufficient space is provided for easy cleaning between, behind, and above fixed equipment, the equipment shall be sealed to the adjoining equipment or adjacent walls or ceilings.
(6) Equipment that is placed on tables or counters, unless portable, shall be sealed to the table or counter or elevated on legs to provide at least a four-inch clearance between the table or counter and equipment and shall be installed to facilitate the cleaning of the equipment and adjacent areas.
(7) Equipment is "portable" within the meaning of this chapter if:
A. It is small and light enough to be moved easily by one person; and
B. It has no utility connection, has a utility connection that disconnects quickly, or has a flexible utility connection line of sufficient length to permit the equipment to be moved for easy cleaning.
(8) Floor-mounted equipment, unless easily movable, shall be:
A. Sealed to the floor;
B. Installed on a raised platform of concrete or other smooth masonry in a way that meets all the requirements for sealing of floor clearance; or
C. Elevated on legs to provide at least a six-inch clearance between the floor and equipment, except that vertically mounted floor mixers may be elevated to provide at least a four-inch clearance between the floor and equipment if no part of the floor under the mixer is more than six inches from cleaning access.
(9) Equipment is "easily movable" within the meaning of this chapter if:
A. It is mounted on wheels or casters; and
B. It has no utility connection, has a utility connection that disconnects quickly, or has a flexible utility connection line of sufficient length to permit the equipment to be moved for easy cleaning.
(c) Dishwashing Facilities - Design, Construction, Operation, and Maintenance.
(1) Mechanical cleaning and sanitizing may be done by spray-type or immersion dishwashing machines or by any other type of machine or device if it is demonstrated that it thoroughly cleans and sanitizes equipment and utensils. These machines and devices shall be properly installed, shall be maintained in good repair, and shall be operated in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Utensils and equipment placed in the machine or device shall be exposed to all dishwashing cycles. Automatic detergent dispensers, wetting agent dispensers, and liquid sanitizer injectors, if any, shall be properly installed and maintained. Chemicals added for sanitization purposes shall be automatically dispensed.
(2) Rinse water tanks shall be protected by baffles, curtains, or other effective means to minimize the entry of washwater into the rinse water. Conveyors in dishwashing machines shall be accurately timed to assure proper exposure times in wash and rinse cycles in accordance with manufacturer's specifications attached to the machines.
(3) The pressure of final rinse water supplied to spray-type dishwashing machines shall not be less than fifteen or more than twenty-five pounds per square inch measured in the water line immediately adjacent to the final rinse control valve.
(4) All dishwashing machines shall be thoroughly cleaned at least once a day or more often, when necessary to maintain them in a satisfactory operating condition.
(5) For manual washing, rinsing, and sanitizing of utensils and equipment, a sink with not fewer than three compartments shall be provided and used. Sink compartments shall be large enough to permit the accommodation of the equipment and utensils and shall be self-draining.
(6) When hot water immersion is used for sanitizing, the following facilities shall be provided and used:
A. An integral heating device or fixture installed in, on, or under the sanitizing compartment of the sink capable of maintaining the water at a temperature of at least 175°; and dish baskets of such size and design as to permit complete immersion of the tableware.
(7) Fixed equipment and utensils too large to be cleaned in sink compartments shall be washed manually or cleaned through pressure spray methods and sanitized in accordance with this regulation.
(8) Separate drain boards shall be provided of adequate size for the proper handling of soiled utensils prior to washing and for the proper handling of cleaned utensils following sanitization. Drain boards shall be convenient for use and shall be self-draining. Easily movable dish tables may be used for the storage of soiled utensils or, on separate tables, for the storage of clean utensils.
(d) Thermometer, Iron Pipe Size Valve, and Test Kits.
(1) For mechanical cleaning and sanitizing equipment:
A. Machine or water-line mounted, numerically scaled indicating thermometers, accurate to ±3°F, shall be provided to indicate the temperature of the water in each tank of the machine and the temperature of the final rinse water as it enters the manifold.
B. A 1/4" IPS valve shall be provided immediately upstream from the final rinse control valve to permit checking the flow pressure of the final rinse water.
(2) If chemicals are used for sanitization, a test kit or other device that accurately measures the parts per million concentration of the solution shall be provided and used.
(3) When manual hot water immersion is used for sanitizing, a numerically scaled indicating thermometer, accurate to ± 3°F, shall be convenient to the sink for frequent checks of water temperature.
(e) Prewash. Equipment and utensils shall be flushed or scraped and, when necessary, soaked to remove gross food particles and soil prior to being washed in a dishwashing machine unless a prewash cycle is a part of the dishwashing machine operation.
(f) Wash, Rinse, and Bactericidal Treatment; Mechanical.
(1) Machines using hot water for sanitizing may be used if wash water and pumped rinse water are kept clean and water is maintained at not less than the temperature stated as follows:
TYPE OF DISHWASHING PUMPED RINSE FINAL RINSE MACHINE WASH TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE Single tank 165°F 165°F Stationary rack Single temperature Single tank 150°F 180°F Stationary rack Dual Temperature Single tank 160°F 180°F Conveyor machine Multi-tank 150°F 160°F 180°F Conveyor machine Single tank 140°F 180°F Pot, pan & utensil washing (stationary or moving rack) |
(2) Machines using chemicals for sanitization may be used, provide that:
A. The temperature of the wash water is not less than 120°F;
B. The wash water is kept clean:
C. Only approved chemical sanitizer products are used;
D. Chemical sanitizer products shall be automatically dispensed, as specified by the machine's manufacturer;
E. The chemical sanitizing rinse water temperature shall not be less than 75°F nor less than the temperature specified by the machine's manufacturer.
(3) Equipment and utensils shall be placed in racks, trays, baskets, or on conveyors in such a way that food contact surfaces are exposed to the unobstructed application of the detergent wash and clean rinse waters and that permits free draining.
(g) Wash, Rinse and Bactericidal Treatment; Manual.
(1) The following procedure shall be used to manually wash, rinse, and sanitize equipment, utensils, and other food contact surfaces in a three-compartment sink:
A. Sinks shall be cleaned, if necessary, prior to use;
B. Equipment and utensils shall be immersed and thoroughly washed in the first compartment with a hot detergent solution that is kept clean;
C. Equipment and utensils shall be rinsed free of detergent and abrasives with clean water in the second compartment;
D. Equipment and utensils shall be sanitized in the third compartment according to one of the methods approved in this regulation.
(2) The following procedure shall be used to manually wash and sanitize equipment, utensils, and other food contact surfaces in a two-compartment sink, approved prior to the effective date of this chapter:
A. Sinks shall be cleaned, if necessary, prior to use;
B. Equipment and utensils shall be thoroughly cleaned in the first compartment with a detergent/sanitizer solution that is kept clean and at the indicated concentration;
C. Equipment and utensils shall be sanitized in the second compartment with a solution containing the same detergent/sanitizer that is kept clean and at the indicated concentration or in hot water in accordance with subsection (g)(3) hereof.
(3) The food contact surfaces of all equipment and utensils shall be sanitized by:
A. Immersion for at least one-half minute in clean hot water at a temperature of at least 175°F;
B. Immersion for at least one minute in a clean solution containing at least fifty ppm of available chlorine as a hypochlorite and at a temperature of at least 75ºF;
C. Immersion for at least one minute in a clean solution containing at least 12.5 ppm of available iodine and having a pH not higher than the pH designated by manufacturer and at a temperature of at least 75°F;
D. Immersion in a clean solution containing any other chemical sanitizing agent allowed under 21 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 178.1010 that will provide the equivalent bactericidal effect of a solution containing at least fifty ppm of available chlorine as a hypochlorite at a temperature of at least 75°F;
E. Treatment with steam, free from materials or additives other than those specified in 21 CFR 173.310, in the case of equipment too large to sanitize by immersion but in which steam can be confined; or
F. Rinsing, spraying, or swabbing with a chemical sanitizing solution of at least twice the strength required for that particular sanitizing solution under this rule in the case of equipment too large to sanitize by immersion as long as it does not exceed CFR regulations.
(4) Equipment and utensils shall be exposed to the final chemical sanitizing rinse in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications for time and concentration of the approved chemical sanitizer product being used.
(5) Food contact surfaces shall not be subjected to chemical sanitizer concentrations higher than the maximum permitted under 21 CFR 178.1010.
(6) Notwithstanding subsection (c)(5) hereof, a two-compartment sink may be used for manually washing and sanitizing utensils and equipment when an approved detergent/sanitizer product is used and the two-compartment sink has been approved prior to June 1, 1992.
(7) Sink requirements for a Limited Food Establishment will be determined by the Franklin County Board of Health on an individual basis.
(h) Wiping Cloths.
(1) Cloths used for wiping food spills on tableware, such as plates or bowls being served to the consumer, shall be clean, dry, and used for no other purpose.
(2) Moist cloths used for wiping food spills on kitchenware and food contact surfaces of equipment shall be clean and shall be rinsed frequently in one of the sanitizing solutions permitted in the regulation, and shall be used for no other purpose. These cloths shall be stored in the sanitizing solution between uses.
(i) Cleaning Frequency of Food Contact Surfaces.
(1) Tableware shall be washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use. Kitchenware and food contact surfaces of equipment shall be washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following any interruption of operations during which time contamination may have occurred.
(2) If equipment and utensils are used for the preparation of potentially hazardous foods on a continuous or production-line basis, utensils and the food contact surfaces of equipment shall be washed, rinsed, and sanitized at intervals throughout the day on a schedule based on food temperature, type of food, and amount of food particle accumulation.
(3) The food contact surfaces of grills, griddles, and similar cooking devices and the cavities and door seals of microwave ovens shall be cleaned at least once a day, except that this requirement shall not apply to hot oil cooking equipment and hot oil filtering systems. The food contact surfaces of all cooking equipment shall be kept free of encrusted grease deposits and other accumulated soil.
(j) Cleaning Frequency of Non-Food Contact Surfaces. Non-food contact surfaces of equipment shall be cleaned as often as is necessary to keep the equipment free of accumulation of dust, dirt, food particles, and other debris.
(k) Storage and Handling of Equipment and Utensils.
(1) Cleaned and sanitized equipment and utensils shall be handled in a way that protects them from contamination. Utensils shall be touched only by their handles.
(2) Cleaned and sanitized utensils and equipment shall be stored at least six inches above the floor in a clean, dry location in a way that protects them from contamination by splash, dust, and other means.
(3) Equipment and utensils shall be air-dried before being stored in a self-draining position.
(4) Glasses and cups shall be stored inverted on a clean, nonabsorbent surface. Other stored utensils shall be covered or inverted whenever practical.
(5) The storage and handling of food, equipment, or utensils in toilet rooms, garbage rooms, mechanical rooms, locker rooms, or vestibules is prohibited.
(l) Single-Service Articles; Storage and Dispensing.
(1) Single-service articles shall be stored at least six inches above the floor in closed cartons or containers which protect them from contamination and shall not be placed under exposed sewer lines or water lines, except for automatic fire protection sprinkler heads that may be required by law.
(2) Single-service articles shall be handled and dispensed in a manner that prevents contamination of their surfaces which may come in contact with food or with the mouth of the user. Unless single-service knives, forks, and spoons are pre-wrapped or pre-packaged, approved holders shall be provided to protect these items from contamination and to present the handle of the utensils to the consumer.
(3) Single-service articles shall not be stored or handled in toilet rooms or vestibules.
(m) Re-Use. Re-use of single-service articles is prohibited.
(n) Returnables and Recyclables.
(1) Areas designed for storage of returnable/recyclable or damaged goods containers shall be located so that food, equipment and utensils are not contaminated and that a public nuisance is not created.
(2) Container redeeming machines for recyclables shall be located in designated areas which are separate from food, equipment, or utensils.
(Res. 1-95. Passed 1-19-95.)