Okla. Admin. Code § 310:260-3-5

Current through Vol. 42, No. 4, November 1, 2024

Section 310:260-3-5 - Equipment and utensils

(a)Design, fabrication, installation and maintenance.

(1) All plant equipment and utensils used in manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding food must be so designed and of such material and workmanship as to be adequately cleanable, and must be adequately maintained to protect against allergen cross-contact and contamination.

(2) Equipment and utensils must be designed, constructed, and used appropriately to avoid the adulteration of food with lubricants, fuel, metal fragments, contaminated water, or any other contaminants.

(3) Equipment must be installed so as to facilitate the cleaning and maintenance of the equipment and of adjacent spaces.

(4) Food-contact surfaces must be corrosion-resistant when in contact with food.

(5) Food-contact surfaces must be made of nontoxic materials and designed to withstand the environment of their intended use and the action of food, and, if applicable, cleaning compounds, sanitizing agents, and cleaning procedures.

(6) Food-contact surfaces must be maintained to protect food from allergen cross-contact and from being contaminated by any source, including unlawful indirect food additives.

(b)Seams. Seams on food-contact surfaces shall be smoothly bonded or maintained so as to minimize accumulation of food particles, dirt, and organic matter and thus minimize the opportunity for growth of microorganismsand allergen cross-contact.

(c)Non-food contact equipment. Equipment that is in the areas where food is manufactured, processed, packed, or held and that does not come into contact with food shall be so constructed that it can be kept in a clean condition.

(d)Holding, conveying and manufacturing systems. Holding conveying, and manufacturing systems, including gravimetric, pneumatic, closed, and automated systems, shall be of a design and construction that enables them to be maintained in an appropriate sanitary condition.

(e)Thermometers. Each freezer and cold storage compartment used to store and hold food capable of supporting growth of microorganisms shall be fitted with an indicating thermometer, temperature measuring device, or temperature recording device so installed as to show the temperature accurately to within +/- 3°F inside the compartment, and should be fitted with an automatic control for regulating temperature or with an automatic alarm system to indicate a significant temperature change during manual operation.

(f)Instruments and controls. Instruments and controls used for measuring, regulating, or recording temperatures, pH, acidity, water activity, or other conditions that control or prevent the growth of undesirable microorganisms in food shall be accurate, precise, and adequately maintained, and adequate in number for their designated uses.

(g)Compressed air. Compressed air or other gases mechanically introduced into food or used to clean food-contact surfaces or equipment shall be treated in such a way that food is not contaminated with unlawful indirect food additives.

Okla. Admin. Code § 310:260-3-5

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 37, Issue 24, September 1, 2020, eff. 9/11/2020