§ 37.124. Preparation and processing.
(a) Fans, blowers or air cooling systems shall not move unfiltered air from raw material or preparation rooms into processing rooms.
(b) Only adequately cleaned, prepared raw materials shall be introduced into areas where frozen precooked foods are cooked and subsequently handled in processing operations.
(c) Preparatory operations feeding to the packing line shall be so timed to permit efficient handling of consecutive packages in production, and under conditions designed to prevent contamination, loss of quality or spoilage.
(d) When batter, egg wash or milk wash is an ingredient, it shall be maintained at a product temperature not to exceed 45°F, except when the process temperatures required for manufacturing the product are higher. Cracked or flaked ice used to refrigerate batters shall meet bacterial standards for potable water. Batter remaining in machines and equipment at cleanup time shall be discarded.
(e) Breading materials that have come in contact with batter and have been removed by screening shall be discarded.
(f) Food ingredients or mixtures that are capable of supporting rapid bacterial growth shall be maintained either at a product temperature above 160°F or below 45°F, except when processing temperatures falling in this range are an integral part of the product manufactured, such as, yeast.
(g) Cooked food such as meat, poultry, sauces and gravies shall be all of the following:
(1) Refrigerated or incorporated into the finished product within 1 hour following preparation.
(2) Refrigerated within 30 minutes following preparation at an air temperature of 50°F or less if the product is to be held from 1 to 8 hours after preparation.
(3) Refrigerated within 30 minutes following preparation such that the internal temperature of the food product will be 40°F or lower, within 2 hours of refrigeration if the food product has been comminuted, sliced or is a liquid, and if the food is to be held more than eight hours. Large solid food components such as those that must be cooled before slicing shall be refrigerated at an air temperature of 40°F or lower.
(h) Trays, pans or other containers of ingredients destined for incorporation into the finished product shall be protected with a clean cover unless these ingredients are used within 30 minutes of preparation. The cover shall not be made from porous material.
(i) Permanently legible code marks shall be placed on each immediate container or package at time of packing. The code marks, as devised by management, shall include date of packing and establishment where packed.
(j) Packaged products shall be placed in the freezer according to good commercial practice. Placement of packages in cases before freezing is prohibited unless the wholesome quality of the product is fully protected by prior processing.
(k) —
(1) Refuse from the food operations shall be promptly placed in containers that are prominently marked ‘‘REFUSE’’ and equipped with lids.
(2) The handling of refuse shall be done in such a manner as not to cause a nuisance.
(3) All refuse shall be removed from the premises on a daily basis and in such a manner as not to contaminate food products being manufactured within the plant.
(4) Refuse containers shall be thoroughly cleaned immediately after each emptying.
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