Rule 40-7-4-.04 - Plant Arrangement and Grounds(1) Plants in which crabmeat is picked and packed shall, to the extent feasible, be so located that they will not be subjected to flooding by high tides. If plant floors are flooded, processing shall be discontinued until after waters have receded and the facilities are cleaned and sanitized. A minimum plant elevation of at least two feet above mean high water shall be provided in new plant construction. Where retort operations are below the floor level of the plant, the drains and vents on such equipment shall also be located at least two feet above mean high tide.(2) Plant design shall provide for continuous flow of the raw materials and product, to prevent contamination by exposure to areas involved in earlier processing steps, refuse disposal, clean up operations, or other objectionable areas.(3) Separate rooms or areas approved by the department shall be provided for receiving, washing and culling, refrigeration of product and processing of product.(4) The following processes shall be carried out in separate rooms or facilities and the interior walls separating these rooms shall extend from floor to ceiling and contain only necessary openings (such as conveyors and doorways). (a) Cooking. 1. The cooking room or area shall be under permanent cove.2. The cooking room or area should be located between the area for receiving fresh crabs and the cooling room. It shall be properly vented to assure the quick removal of steam.(b) Cooling and/or Debacking.1. A separate room shall be provided for the cooling of cooked crabs except where suitable arrangements or adequate space is provided in either the picking room, debacking room, or the cooking room for this purpose, provided that the construction and arrangement shall give adequate protection to the cooked crab from flies, insects, rodents, dust, plant traffic, and the washing down or clean up operation. This room and refrigerated room for cooked crabs shall open directly into the picking room, debacking room, or screened-in-area or passageway through which crabs are transported after cooling.2. The cooling room shall not contain any material, product, or equipment not pertaining to the storage of cooked crabs.3. A water hose and an easily accessible water connection with backflow prevention device shall be provided to aid in cooling of cooked crab.4. Roll carts, hand trucks, overhead rails, etc. used for conveying retort baskets from cooking room to cooling area shall have contact surfaces of smooth corrosion resistant metal, and shall be ma intained with a smooth non-porous, easily, washable finish.5. Overhead hoists used in the plant shall be equipped with chain bags or other approved device to minimize the potential for contamination of cooked product from overhead.(c) Refrigerated rooms and coolers. 1. Separate refrigeration rooms shall be provided for; picked crab meat; for unpicked cooked crabs and for; uncooked items such as fresh crabs, bait, fish, and conch; provided that in an emergency cooked crabs may be temporarily stored in the same refrigeration room with packed containerized crab meat.(d) Picking/packing. 1. If mechanization is planned that will provide for a single flow-through process the picking/packing and packing/shipping activities can be carried out in one room.2. Where picking and packing rooms are separated by walls or partitions a delivery window shall be provided and equipped with a corrosion resistant shelf of metal or equally smooth non-porous surface, and shall drain toward the picking room.(e) Pasteurization. 1. A separate room shall be provided except where suitable arrangements or adequate space is provided in either the cooking room or debacking room for the purpose of pasteurization provided that the construction and arrangement shall give adequate protection to product and not interfere with or interrupt the pasteurization process.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 40-7-4-.04
Ga. L. 1956, p. 195 as amended; O.C.G.A. Sec. 26-2-1et seq.
Original Rule entitled "Net Content" F. on Jun. 30, 1965.Repealed: New Rule entitled "Plant Arrangement and Grounds" adopted. F. Apr. 30, 1996; eff. May 20, 1996.