Arizona Administrative Code › Title 3 - AGRICULTURE › Chapter 2 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - ANIMAL SERVICES DIVISION › Article 8 - DAIRY AND DAIRY PRODUCTS CONTROL › Section R3-2-807 - Frozen Dessert Plant and Processing Standards

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 28, July 12, 2024
A. Plant and Processing Standards.
1. The plant area shall be clean, orderly and
				free from refuse, rubbish, smoke, dust, air pollution and strong or foul odors
				originating on the premises. A drainage system shall be provided for the rapid
				drainage of water away from the building. If unsatisfactory conditions occur in
				the plant area, with respect to smoke, dust, air pollution, or odors, provision
				shall be made to protect the frozen desserts and ingredients from
				contamination.
2. Sewage and
				industrial waste shall be disposed in accordance with the provisions of the
				state or county environmental laws. Refuse, unless in appropriate containers,
				shall not accumulate on the premises.
3. Roads, driveways, yards, and parking areas
				adjacent to the plant shall be paved or treated to prevent dust and shall be
				smooth and well drained to prevent accumulation of stagnant liquid.
4. Buildings.
a. The building exterior and interior shall
				be kept clean and in good repair.
b. In processing and packaging areas, outside
				doors, windows, skylights, transoms, or other openings shall be protected and
				operated to preclude the entrance of dust, insects, vermin, rodents, and other
				animals. Outside doors shall be self-closing wherever practical. Window sills
				on new construction shall slope inward at least 45-degrees. Outside conveyor
				openings and other outside openings shall be protected by doors, screens,
				flaps, fans, or tunnels. Pipes shall be sealed where they extend through
				exterior walls. Outside pipe openings shall be covered when not in
				use.
c. Rooms. All rooms,
				compartments, coolers, freezers, and dry storage space in which any raw
				material, packaging or ingredient supplies, or finished products are handled,
				processed, manufactured, packaged, or stored shall be constructed to ensure
				clean and orderly operations.
i. Boiler and
				tool rooms shall be separate from rooms where milk products are received, where
				processing and packaging is done, or where equipment, facilities, and
				containers are washed and stored.
ii. Toilets and dressing rooms shall be
				conveniently located and toilets shall not open directly into any room where
				milk products, ingredients, or frozen desserts are handled, processed,
				packaged, or stored. Toilet and dressing room doors shall be self-closing.
				Toilets and dressing rooms shall be well vented to the outer air, and contain
				hand-washing facilities, hot and cold running water, soap, single-service
				towels or air dryers. Hand-washing signs shall be posted. Fixtures shall be
				kept clean and in good repair.
iii.
				Rooms for receiving milk and other raw ingredients and materials shall be
				separated from the processing area to avoid contamination of frozen desserts in
				the processing operations, except that products in cans or other closed
				containers may be received and transferred to a cooler or other storage without
				being received in a separate room.
iv. If tank truck deliveries of milk, milk
				products, or frozen desserts mix are made, other than occasional deliveries, a
				tank truck room large enough to accommodate the entire truck shall be provided
				with equipment for cleaning. A covered outside unloading pad may be used for
				truck tankers with filter dome vents, if washing and sanitizing facilities are
				provided. If a tank truck room is not located on the premises of an existing
				plant, facilities for washing and sanitizing tank trucks shall be provided at
				another location where the washing and sanitizing facility is free from dust
				and extreme weather conditions.
v.
				Except for existing processing and packaging rooms, there shall be at least
				three feet clearance between installations and the wall to prevent overcrowding
				and to facilitate cleaning. Existing facilities not meeting this requirement
				shall be permitted if cleaning can be accomplished and permission is obtained
				from the Dairy Supervisor or the Dairy Supervisor's designee. All processing
				and packaging rooms shall be equipped with hand-washing facilities including
				hot and cold running water, soap, single-service towels, or
				air-dryer.
vi. Refrigeration rooms
				and units shall be constructed of impervious material and shall be kept clean
				and sanitary.
vii. Separate rooms
				shall be provided so that the manufacturing, processing, and packaging are
				separate from the cleaning and sterilizing of utensils and
				containers.
viii. No person shall
				reside or sleep in a frozen desserts plant or in any room connected with it. No
				animal shall be kept or permitted in a frozen desserts plant.
d. Walls and ceilings shall be
				constructed of smooth, washable, impervious material. They shall be
				light-colored, kept clean and sanitary, and refinished when discolored. A
				darker color material may be used to a height not exceeding 60 inches from the
				floor.
e. Floors shall be an
				impervious, smooth-surfaced material that may be flushed clean with water.
				Except for hardening rooms, floors shall slope 3/16 to 1/4 inch per foot to one
				or more trapped outlets. No open channel drainage is permitted in new
				construction or in extensive remodeling of existing plants. Floor drains are
				not required in freezers used for storing frozen desserts or frozen
				ingredients. However, the floors shall be sloped to drain to at least one exit
				and shall be kept clean. Floors in new construction or extensive remodeling
				shall be joined and coved with the walls to form water-tight joints. Smooth
				wood floors may only be permitted in rooms where there will be no spillage of
				product or ingredients, such as rooms where wrapped or packaged frozen products
				are packed in multiple-pack containers. Toilets and dressing rooms shall have
				impervious floors and smooth walls.
f. Plumbing shall be installed to prevent
				back-up of sewage or odors into the plant.
g. All rooms and compartments, including
				storage space for materials, ingredients, and packages, and toilets and
				dressing rooms, shall be ventilated to maintain sanitary conditions, and to
				minimize or eliminate condensation and odors.
h. Lighting, whether natural or artificial,
				shall be well distributed in all rooms and compartments. Light bulbs and
				fluorescent tubes shall be protected so that broken glass cannot fall into any
				product or equipment.
i. Rooms where frozen
				desserts are handled, processed, manufactured, or packaged, or where equipment
				or utensils are washed, shall have at least 30 footcandles of light on all
				working surfaces;
ii. Areas where
				dairy products are examined for condition and quality shall have at least 50
				footcandles of light; and
iii. All
				other rooms shall have at least 20 footcandles of light 30 inches above the
				floor.
i. Containers for
				collecting and holding waste other than dry waste paper and other dry packaging
				material shall be constructed of metal or other impervious material, covered
				with tight-fitting lids or covers, and emptied or disposed of daily or at least
				once during the shift. Clothing, tools, equipment, and other material not used
				with the frozen desserts operations shall not accumulate in the work areas or
				in the storage rooms.
j. A room or
				other space separate from any room or space where milk products or frozen
				desserts are received, handled, processed, packaged, or stored, shall be
				provided where employees may change and store clothing. This area shall contain
				hand-washing facilities, with hot and cold running water, soap or other
				detergents, and single-service towels or air dryers. Self-closing containers
				shall be provided for used towels and other wastes.
k. Approval of plans. Plans shall be
				submitted to the Dairy Supervisor, for any new or remodeled frozen dessert
				manufacturer, to be reviewed for compliance with this Section. The Dairy
				Supervisor may allow variances to the requirements in this Section, if
				protection from contamination is provided for all products handled.
5. Water and steam.
a. Potable hot and cold water shall be
				available in sufficient quantity for all plant operations and facilities.
				Non-potable water may be used for boiler feed and condenser water, if the water
				lines are separated from the water lines carrying the potable water supply and
				the equipment is constructed to preclude contamination of any product or
				product contact surface. If water for washing frozen desserts equipment and
				utensils and for use in rehydration or as an ingredient in any frozen desserts
				is obtained from other than a regulated municipal supply, a bacteriological
				examination shall be made of the water supply at least once every six months by
				a laboratory acceptable to the Dairy regulatory program to determine
				potability. If the examination indicates contamination of the water supply, a
				device shall be installed to eliminate the contamination.
b. If steam is used, it shall be provided in
				sufficient volume and pressure for the operation of equipment or for
				sterilization, or both. Steam that comes in contact with frozen desserts,
				ingredients, or with the product contact surface, shall be steam of culinary
				quality as prescribed in Appendix H, Part III, Culinary Steam - Milk and Milk
				Products, of the PMO.
6.
				Equipment and utensils.
a. New equipment
				shall meet applicable 3-A Sanitary Standards. All equipment, including
				connections, coming in contact with frozen desserts or ingredients during
				processing, manufacturing, handling, or packaging, shall be made of stainless
				steel. No equipment shall be permitted that is rusted, corroded, or in any
				other condition that may result in contamination of the frozen desserts.
				Non-metallic parts with product contact surfaces shall consist of material that
				meets 3-A Sanitary Standards for Plastic or Rubber and Rubber-like Materials or
				shall be of plastic approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
				Equipment, apparatus, and piping shall be easily accessible for cleaning and
				shall be kept in good repair and free from cracks and corroded surfaces.
				Stationary equipment, including welded sanitary lines and apparatus that permit
				in-place-cleaning, may be used if prior approval from the Dairy Supervisor has
				been obtained. C-I-P piping and welded sanitary pipeline systems shall be
				permitted if engineered and installed according to 3-A Accepted Practices for
				Permanently Installed Sanitary Product and Solution Pipelines and Cleaning
				Systems. If rigid pipelines are not practical, plastic pipelines listed in the
				3-A Accepted Practices may be used. Product pumps shall be sanitary and easily
				dismantled for cleaning or shall be constructed to allow C-I-P procedures. All
				parts of interior surfaces of equipment, pipes (except C-I-P piping), or
				fittings, including valves and connections shall be accessible for inspection.
				The Dairy Supervisor may require other equipment, apparatus or piping if
				stationary equipment, apparatus or piping cannot or is not being effectively
				cleaned-in-place.
b. Equipment for
				storage and distribution of liquid sweetening agents shall be constructed of
				metals, alloys, or other material that will withstand corrosive action by the
				ingredient. The equipment and the ingredients shall be protected from
				contamination.
c. Pasteurizing
				equipment shall meet the standards prescribed in the PMO and 3-A Accepted
				Practices for Sanitary Construction, Installation, Testing and Operation of
				High-Temperature-Short-Time Pasteurizers and 3-A Sanitary Standards for
				Non-Coiled Type Batch Pasteurizers. Batch-type pasteurizers shall be provided
				with close-coupled outlet valves protected against leakage and shall be
				equipped with thermometers that record the information of each day's operation
				on separate charts. Air space thermometers and indicating thermometers shall be
				provided to check the recording thermometers. The recording thermometer chart
				shall contain the date, the identity of the pasteurizing number, the batch and
				product name, and the signature of the employee responsible for this
				information. The record shall be kept on file at the plant for at least six
				months. The accuracy of the recording thermometer shall be checked daily using
				the indicating thermometer and the time and temperature shall be documented on
				the recording chart. Chart recorders and thermometers for batch pasteurizers
				shall be tested and sealed by the Dairy Supervisor or the Supervisor's designee
				after testing and seals shall not be removed without immediately notifying the
				Dairy Supervisor or the Supervisor's designee.
d. Every plant shall contain hardening rooms,
				refrigerating rooms, or refrigerated cabinets with space for storage of frozen
				desserts and perishable ingredients.
e. All utensils used in the receiving,
				storing, processing, manufacturing, packaging, and handling of frozen desserts
				or any ingredients shall be of smooth, stainless steel, or plastic listed in
				the 3-A Accepted Practices and shall have flush seams. Utensils that are badly
				worn, rusted, or corroded or that cannot be rendered clean and sanitary by
				washing shall not be used. Lead solder shall not come in contact with milk or
				milk products or frozen desserts.
7. Cleaning and sanitizing.
a. Cleaning and sanitizing. Equipment,
				sanitary piping and utensils used in receiving, storing, processing,
				manufacturing, packaging, and handling frozen desserts and ingredients, and all
				product contact surfaces of homogenizers, high pressure pumps, packing glands
				on agitators, pumps and vats, and lines shall be kept clean. Before use, all
				equipment coming in contact with milk products or frozen desserts shall have a
				bactericidal or sanitizing treatment. Equipment not designed for C-I-P cleaning
				shall be disassembled, thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Biodegradable dairy
				cleaners, wetting agents, detergents, sanitizing agents, or other similar
				material that does not adversely affect or contaminate the frozen desserts or
				ingredients may be used. Steel wool or metal sponges shall not be used to clean
				any equipment or utensils with product contact surfaces. C-I-P cleaning shall
				be used only on equipment and pipeline systems designed, engineered, and
				installed for that type of cleaning. Other equipment and areas in the plant
				shall be thoroughly cleaned with appropriate methods that prevent potential
				contamination of ingredients, packaging and frozen desserts. Exhaust stacks,
				elevators and elevator pits, conveyors and similar facilities shall be
				inspected and cleaned regularly.
b.
				Equipment shall be sanitized by using one of the following methods:
i. Using 180° F water for at least two
				minutes.
ii. Using steam under
				pressure for at least two minutes or until all parts of the equipment being
				sanitized have reached 180° F, or the condensate off the equipment remains
				at 180° F for at least two minutes.
iii. Using chlorine with a residual of at
				least 50 ppm after one minute contact with equipment, or if sprayed, with a
				residual of at least 100 ppm after five minutes.
iv. Using any other sanitizing substance
				prescribed in Appendix F of the PMO.
8. Pasteurization and cooling.
a. All frozen desserts mix, except for
				flavoring agents used in frozen desserts, shall be pasteurized.
b. Frozen desserts mix shall be pasteurized
				by heating every particle as described in Table 1:
Table 1
Batch (Vat) Pasteurization
Temperature
Time
69ºC (155ºF)
30 minutes
Continuous Flow (HTST)
							 Pasteurization
Temperature
Time
80ºC (175ºF)
25 seconds
83ºC (180ºF)
15 seconds
89ºC (191°F)
1.0 seconds
90ºC (194°F)
0.5 seconds
94ºC (201°F)
0.10 seconds
96ºC (204°F)
0.05 seconds
100ºC (212°F)
0.01 seconds
c.
				Continuous flow pasteurizers, high-temperature-short-time and
				higher-heat-shorter-time, shall have all public health controls sealed against
				access and alteration. The seals shall be applied by the Dairy Supervisor or
				the Supervisor's designee after testing and shall not be removed without
				immediately notifying the Dairy Supervisor or the Supervisor's designee. The
				system shall be designed to meet the requirements of the PMO.
d. After pasteurization all mix shall be
				cooled immediately to 45° F or less and shall be maintained at that
				temperature until frozen. Milk, cream, and other fluid milk products other than
				sterilized, evaporated or sweetened condensed milk in hermetically sealed
				containers shall be stored at 45° F or less.
i. Refrigerated vehicles or approved
				insulated containers shall be used when transporting frozen desserts mix from
				the manufacturing or other plant to a retail manufacturer, and
ii. Mix shall be moved from coolers or
				refrigeration units in a manufacturing plant to freezers by using pipes,
				tubing, or other means listed in the Permanently Installed Product and Solution
				Pipelines and Cleaning Systems Used in Milk and Milk Product Processing Plants
				section of the 3-A Accepted Practices.
9. Storage.
a. Utensils and equipment. Utensils and
				portable equipment used in processing, handling, or packaging of frozen
				desserts shall be stored above the floor in clean, dry locations and in a
				self-draining position on racks constructed of impervious, corrosion-resistant
				material.
b. Supplies and
				containers. Whenever possible, supplies shall be kept in a room separate from
				the processing, handling, and packaging of frozen desserts and under conditions
				that result in keeping the materials clean and free from dust, moisture,
				insects, rodents, or other possible contamination. Supplies shall be arranged
				to permit cleaning of the area and easy inspection and access. Insecticides and
				rodenticides shall be plainly labeled, segregated, and stored in a separate
				room or cabinet away from the edible material or packaging supplies. Caps,
				parchment papers, wrappers, liners, gaskets, and single-service sticks, spoons,
				covers, and containers for frozen desserts or ingredients shall be stored only
				in sanitary tubes, wrappings, or cartons and kept in a clean, dry place until
				used and shall be handled in a sanitary manner.
c. Raw milk products. Raw products for use in
				frozen desserts that are conducive to bacterial growth shall be handled and
				stored to minimize bacterial growth. When stored, raw products shall be
				maintained at 45° F or lower until processing commences.
d. Non-refrigerated products. Products such
				as non-fat dry milk and other frozen desserts ingredients that do not require
				refrigeration for proper storing shall be placed in dry storage to be easily
				accessible for inspection and removal, and for adequate cleaning of the room.
				Dunnage, pallets or other similar method of elevation shall be used. Frozen
				desserts or ingredients shall not be stored with any product that would damage
				them or impair their quality. Opened containers of ingredients shall be
				protected from contamination.
e.
				Refrigerated products. All products that require refrigeration shall, except as
				otherwise specified, be stored under conditions of temperature and humidity
				that best maintain quality and condition. Products shall not be stored directly
				on wet floors or be exposed to foreign odors or conditions such as dripping or
				condensation that may cause package or product damage.
10. Notification of change in products to be
				manufactured. Any person manufacturing only frozen desserts with butterfat, or
				only frozen desserts with fats other than butterfat, and uses the other type of
				fat shall first notify the Dairy Supervisor.
11. Clearing lines and equipment. If the same
				equipment is used for processing, pasteurizing, and packaging frozen desserts
				made with dairy products and frozen desserts made with vegetable fats, oils, or
				proteins, any remaining product shall be completely removed from the lines and
				equipment and sanitized before introducing another product into the lines and
				equipment. All equipment and lines shall be sanitized either at the end or
				beginning of each day's operations.
12. Packaging and containers.
a. Frozen desserts shall be packaged in
				commercial containers using packaging material that protects the product from
				contamination. The packaging, cutting, molding, dispensing, and other handling
				or preparation of frozen desserts and their ingredients shall be in a sanitary
				manner. Frozen dessert containers shall be filled at the place of
				pasteurization using approved mechanical equipment. Existing manual processes
				may be permitted if done in a manner that prevents all contact surface
				contamination and is approved by the Dairy Supervisor.
b. Multi-use containers for frozen desserts
				shall be kept clean and dry. If used for transporting frozen desserts, the
				containers shall be:
i. Rinsed immediately
				after emptying,
ii. Cleaned upon
				return to the plant, and
iii.
				Protected from contamination during storage.
c. Metal cans and containers shall be free
				from rust and corrosion.
d. Paper
				and plastic containers, liners, covers, or other materials coming in contact
				with frozen desserts shall be free from contamination.
e. Single-service containers shall not be
				reused.