Alaska Administrative Code › Title 18 - Environmental Conservation › Chapter 31 - Alaska Food Code › Article 2 - Food Care › 18 AAC 31.222 - Food protection: food and ingredients

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) The operator of
				a food establishment shall take measures to prevent contamination of food by
				other food and food ingredients during receiving, storage, preparation,
				holding, and display and shall
(1) protect
				food containers that are received packaged together in a case or overwrap from
				cuts when the case or overwrap is opened;
(2) protect food from cross-contamination by
				separating
(A) raw animal food during storage,
				preparation, holding, and display from raw, ready-to-eat food and cooked,
				ready-to-eat food;
(B) except when
				combined as ingredients, types of raw animal foods from each other during
				storage, preparation, holding, and display by
(i) using separate equipment for each type or
				arranging each type of food in equipment so that cross-contamination of one
				type with another is prevented; and
(ii) preparing each type of food at different
				times or in separate areas;
(C) stored products held by the operator for
				credit, redemption, or return to the distributor, such as damaged, spoiled, or
				recalled products from food, food-contact surfaces, linens, or single-service
				or single-use articles; and
(D)
				vegetables or fruit before it is washed as specified in (7) of this subsection
				from ready-to-eat food;
(3) cover food during storage using packages,
				containers, or wrappings, except
(A) quarters,
				sides, or large cuts of raw meat or slab bacon that are hung on clean,
				sanitized hooks or racks if no part of the meat touches walls, floors, boxes,
				or shelving, and food is not stored under the meat;
(B) whole, uncut, raw fruits and vegetables
				and nuts in the shell, that require peeling or hulling before
				consumption;
(C) whole, uncut,
				processed meats, including country hams and smoked or cured sausages, that are
				placed on clean, sanitized racks;
(D) molluscan shellfish; or
(E) food being cooled, as specified under
				18 AAC 31.234;
(4) store and display food and
				containers of food
(A) at least six inches
				above the floor on storage or display shelving or equipment in a clean, dry
				location where the food is not exposed to splash, dust, or other contamination,
				except that
(i) food in cases, or large
				containers of packaged food, such as flour and sugar, may be stored on dollies,
				skids, or open-ended pallets if that equipment is easily movable by hand or
				with the use of pallet-moving equipment that is available on the premises at
				all times; and
(ii) large,
				impervious, covered containers or cases of food, metal beverage containers, and
				food packaged in cans, glass, or other sealed, waterproof containers need not
				be elevated if the container is not exposed to floor moisture and the floor is
				clean; and
(B) in a
				location that will not cause contamination; a location that may cause
				contamination includes a locker room, toilet room, dressing room, garbage room,
				mechanical room, or under an exposed sewer line, an open stairwell, a leaking
				refrigeration condenser, or a leaking or dripping waterline, including a
				leaking automatic fire sprinkler head or under a line on which water has
				condensed;
(5) label
				containers holding food or food ingredients that are removed from the original
				package for use in the food establishment with the common name of the food,
				except molluscan shellfish subject to
				18 AAC 31.200 and containers
				holding food that can be readily and unmistakably recognized;
(6) prevent contamination from ice by
				ensuring
(A) packaged food is not stored in
				direct contact with ice or water if the food is subject to the entry of water
				because of the nature of its packaging, wrapping, or container or its
				positioning in the ice or water;
(B) except for whole, raw fruits and
				vegetables, and cut, raw vegetables and tofu, unpackaged food is not stored in
				direct contact with undrained ice; raw poultry or raw seafood that is received
				immersed in ice in shipping containers may remain in that condition while in
				storage awaiting preparation, display, service, or sale;
(C) ice used to cool the exterior surfaces of
				food, packaged food, food containers, or food-contact surfaces is not served to
				consumers or otherwise used as food; and
(D) ice for use as food or as a cooling
				medium is made from potable water;
(7) except for whole, raw fruits and
				vegetables that are intended for washing by the consumer before consumption,
				wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly with potable water to remove soil and
				other contamination before those fruits and vegetables are cut, combined with
				other ingredients, cooked, served, or offered for human consumption in a
				ready-to-eat form;
(8) prevent
				contamination from whole eggs that have not been pasteurized; and
(9) clean hermetically sealed containers of
				food or visible soil before opening.