Code of Maryland Regulations › Title 15 - MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE › Subtitle 07 - APIARY INSPECTION › Chapter 15.07.01 - General Regulations › Section 15.07.01.03 - Sanitation

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 14, July 12, 2024
A. Each apiary
				shall be kept in a neat and sanitary condition to promote the welfare of the
				beekeeping industry.
B. The
				beekeeper shall keep the honey house in a neat and sanitary condition and shall
				meet the sanitation standards set forth in §§C-N of this
				regulation.
C. The honey house
				shall be so constructed that it can be maintained in a clean and sanitary
				condition. When the honey is extracted, the honey house shall be used
				exclusively for the extracting, processing, packing, or handling of honey, and
				for the storage of equipment related to the business of the honey
				house.
D. The floors of all rooms
				in which honey is handled, extracted, processed, packed, or stored shall be
				clean and in good repair.
E. Walls
				and ceilings of rooms in which honey is handled, extracted, processed, packed,
				or stored shall have smooth, washable surfaces and shall be kept clean and in
				good repair. The roof of the honey house shall be weather-tight.
F. Openings to the outside in the extracting
				and packing rooms shall be screened and kept in good repair and may be equipped
				with bee escapes. Screen doors shall be self-closing. All windows and window
				sills shall be kept clean.
G. Rooms
				shall be adequately ventilated and there shall be sufficient light to permit
				efficient operation, including cleaning of the equipment. Lights over exposed
				food zones shall be protected from breakage to avoid product
				adulteration.
H. The water supply
				for the honey processing room shall be easily accessible, adequate, and of a
				safe, sanitary quality. An adequate supply of clean, hot water shall be
				available for cleaning equipment.
I. Extractors, tanks, and other equipment
				with which honey comes in contact shall be stored in such a manner that they
				are protected from contamination with dust, dirt, rodents, insects, and other
				contaminants. All equipment shall be kept clean and free from rust.
J. Workers shall wear clean and washable
				outer clothing during extracting, processing, packing, or handling of honey and
				shall keep hands clean. A wash basin with running hot water and clean, sanitary
				towels shall be provided for workers when the honey house is in use.
K. Combs of honey shall be protected from
				contamination while in transit to the honey house. Before extracting, all combs
				of honey shall be stored in a clean location.
L. Honey may not be packed in used
				containers, unless these containers have been previously used only for human
				food. All containers shall be free from internal rust and shall be clean and
				sanitary before honey is packed in them. All previously used cans and
				containers shall be steamed clean or cleaned with hot water. All honey stored
				in tanks shall be covered so as to be protected from contamination. Packed
				honey shall be stored in a clean and sanitary manner.
M. Honey shall be extracted only from combs
				that are:
(1) Free from brood of the bees or
				the larva of the wax moth or small hive beetle; and
(2) Properly capped.