414-305-1100 Kitchen and Food Service Areas (1) If there is no kitchen in the center and if meals or snacks are not catered, a certified child care center must observe the requirements under OAR 414-305-1110, Food Service. (2) A certified child care center’s kitchen must be separate from any child care areas and not allow for unsupervised access by children and adults who are not qualified to follow sanitation and safety procedures. (a) The food preparation area is not used as a passageway while food is being prepared. (b) Children must not be allowed in the kitchen except for a supervised learning activity. (3) Walls, floors, and ceilings must be smooth, washable and easily cleanable in all rooms in which food or drink is prepared or stored, or utensils are washed or stored. A certified child care center must ensure that all equipment and utensils used for food service, including shelving and food-contact surfaces, are: (a) Easily cleanable, including beneath, between and behind each piece of equipment; (b) Durable and in good repair; (c) Non-toxic; (d) Smooth and nonabsorbent with no unsealed chips, cracks or seams; and (e) Maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. (4) In areas where food is prepared or food contact items are washed, a certified child care center must provide: (a) Hot and cold running water under pressure; and (b) Dishwashing equipment that meets the requirements in the Oregon Health Authority's administrative rules. (A) Centers with a maximum capacity of 19 children may use a light commercial dishwasher approved by an environmental health specialist. (B) A certified child care center must have a two-compartment sink and an automatic dishwasher that sanitizes with heat or chemicals; or (C) Use a three-compartment sink method (sink one is used to wash, sink two is used to rinse, sink three contains a sanitizer, and the dishes are allowed to air dry). (D) Separate sinks approved by the environmental health specialist for handwashing, for food preparation activities, and for dishwashing activities. (c) The handwashing sinks must have a mixed-valve faucet and not be used for food preparation and dishwashing. (5) In centers without a sink for food preparation, a certified child care center may use a sink for dishwashing if it does not interfere with sanitary food preparation. The sink must be sanitized before being used for food preparation. (6) A certified child care center must dispense soap and paper towels in a sanitary manner and post a sign demonstrating the proper handwashing technique at the sink designated for handwashing. (7) A certified child care center must meet the requirements for handwashing sinks established by State Building Code, as defined in ORS chapter 455, if the center’s physical building was newly constructed or remodeled after July 15, 2001. (8) A certified child care center must provide accurate thermometers designed to measure cold storage temperature in refrigerators and freezers that are clearly visible and easy to read. Thermometers in refrigerators must show a reading of 41°F or below, and thermometers in freezers must show a reading of 0°F or below. (9) A certified child care center must maintain all stove vents and filters free of grease build-up and food spatters and in good repair. (a) In centers using commercial cooking equipment to prepare meals, ventilation must be equipped with an exhaust system in compliance with the applicable building, mechanical, and fire codes. (b) All gas ranges in centers must be mechanically vented and fumes filtered prior to discharge to the outside. (10) A certified child care center must store food waste in leak-proof, non-absorbent containers, covered with a tight-fitting lid, that are emptied, cleaned, and sanitized or disinfected daily. (11) A certified child care center must provide adequate space for the storage of food and food-contact items that is dry, clean, above the floor, and protected from splash and other contamination. (a) Containers for food storage other than the original container or package in which the food was obtained, must be impervious and non-absorbent, have tight-fitting lids or covers, and labeled as to contents. (b) Poisonous or toxic materials and cleaning supplies must not be stored with food. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 329A.260 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 329A.260 History: ELD 10-2023, adopt filed 06/28/2023, effective 01/01/2024