La. Admin. Code tit. 7 § V-1207

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section V-1207 - Health and Hygiene

A. Covered produce farms shall take measures to prevent contamination of covered produce and food contact surfaces with microorganisms of public health significance from any person with a communicable health condition. Communicable illnesses are those that present a public health risk in the context of normal work duties, such as infection, open lesion, vomiting, or diarrhea.

B. The measures taken to satisfy the requirements of Subsection A of this Section shall include all of the following:

1. excluding any person from working in any operations that may result in contamination of covered produce or food contact surfaces with microorganisms of public health significance when the person, by medical examination, the person's acknowledgement, or observation, is shown to have, or appears to have, an applicable health condition, until the person's health condition no longer presents a risk to public health; and

2. instructing personnel to notify their supervisor(s) or a responsible party if they have, or if there is a reasonable possibility that they have an applicable health condition.

C. Personnel who work in an operation in which covered produce or food contact surfaces are at risk of contamination with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards shall use hygienic practices while on duty to the extent necessary to protect against such contamination.

D. The hygienic practices that personnel use to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (C) of this Section when handling covered produce or food contact surfaces during a covered activity shall include all of the following:

1. maintaining adequate personal cleanliness to protect against contamination of covered produce and food contact surfaces;

2. avoiding contact with animals other than working animals, and taking appropriate steps to minimize the likelihood of contamination of covered produce when in direct contact with working animals;

3. washing hands thoroughly, including scrubbing with soap (or other effective surfactant), and running water that satisfies the requirements of § 21 CFR 112.44(a), for water used to wash hands, and drying hands thoroughly using single-service towels, sanitary towel service, electric hand dryers, or other adequate hand drying devices;

a. before starting work;

b. before putting on gloves;

c. after using the toilet;

d. upon return to the work station after any break or other absence from the work station;

e. as soon as practical after touching animals (including livestock and working animals), or any waste of animal origin; and

f. at any other time when the hands may have become contaminated in a manner that is reasonably likely to lead to contamination of covered produce with known or reasonably foreseeable hazards;

4. if using gloves to handle covered produce or food contact surfaces, maintaining gloves in an intact and sanitary condition and replacing such gloves when no longer able to do so;

5. removing or covering hand jewelry that cannot be adequately cleaned and sanitized during periods in which covered produce is manipulated by hand; and

6. not eating, chewing gum, or using tobacco products in an area used for a covered activity; however, drinking beverages may be permitted in designated areas.

E. Visitors shall be made aware of policies and procedures to protect covered produce and food contact surfaces from contamination by people, and all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that visitors comply with such policies and procedures shall be taken.

F. Toilet and hand-washing facilities shall be made accessible to visitors.

La. Admin. Code tit. 7, § V-1207

Promulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Animal Health and Food Safety, LR 48397 (3/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 3:922 and 923.