North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 15A - Environmental Quality › Chapter 18 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH › Subchapter A - SANITATION › Section .0100 - HANDLING, PACKING, AND SHIPPING OF CRUSTACEA MEAT › Section 18A .0174 - PASTEURIZATION PROCESS CONTROLS THERMOMETERS

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a)
				  All pasteurizing equipment shall have a time-temperature recording thermometer
				  with a temperature controller (combined or separately) and an indicating
				  thermometer. The thermometers shall be located to give a true representation of
				  the operating temperature of the water bath. The recording thermometer chart
				  shall be at least a 12-hour chart and at least 10 inches in diameter.
(b) The recording thermometer shall be
				  installed so that it will be protected from vibration and from striking by
				  loading operations or facility traffic. The thermometer mechanism shall be
				  protected from moisture under prevailing conditions. The thermometer case shall
				  not be opened during the pasteurizing cycle, except for temperature check or
				  for emergency or repair. A record shall be made when the thermometer case has
				  been opened.
(c) The recording
				  thermometer shall have a range of at least 120-220° F (48.9-104.4° C).
				  It shall be accurate within plus or minus 1° F between 160° F (71°
				  C) and 200° F (93° C). The chart shall be scaled at a maximum of 2°
				  F intervals in the range of 160° F (71° C) and 200° F (93°
				  C).
(d) The indicating thermometer
				  shall be a thermometer with an accuracy and readability of plus or minus 1°
				  F between 160° F (71° C) and 200° F (93° C). The thermometer
				  shall be protected against damage.
(e) The recording thermometer shall be
				  equipped with a spring-operated or electrically operated clock. The recorded
				  elapsed time as indicated by the chart rotation shall not exceed the true
				  elapsed time as shown by an accurate watch. The rotating chart support shall be
				  provided with pins upon which the chart shall be affixed by puncturing the
				  chart.
(f) The pasteurization unit
				  shall not be operated without a recording thermometer chart in place, the pen
				  in contact with the chart, and an inked record being made of the operating
				  time-temperature cycle. Falsification of a thermometer chart by an individual
				  with access to or that is an operator of a pasteurization unit shall constitute
				  failure to comply with the requirements of this Paragraph. A permanent file of
				  the used thermometer charts shall be maintained by the pasteurizer and kept
				  available for inspection by the Division of Marine Fisheries for a period of
				  one year. The following information shall be recorded within the confines of
				  the pen markings after the pasteurization cycle has been completed:
(1) date of pasteurization;
(2) quantity of each batch pasteurized
				  (pounds of crustacea meat or number and size of containers);
(3) processor's code of each pack;
(4) if the pasteurizer processes crustacea
				  meat for someone else, then the packer's name, address, and permit number shall
				  be recorded. A copy of the recording chart shall be provided to the owner of
				  the crustacea meat;
(5) notation of
				  mechanical or power failure or opening of the recording thermometer case for
				  adjustment or repair during the pasteurizing cycle;
(6) after the temperature in the water bath
				  has been reached and during the holding time, as set forth in Rule .0176 of
				  this Section, the reading of the indicating thermometer and the time of reading
				  shall be recorded on the chart; and
(7) signature of the pasteurizer
				  operator.