Texas Administrative Code › Title 25 - HEALTH SERVICES › Part 1 - DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES › Chapter 217 - MILK AND DAIRY › Subchapter E - DAIRY PRODUCTS AND MILK FOR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES › Section 217.76 - Supplemental Requirements for Plants Manufacturing, Processing, and Packaging Butter and Related Products

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a)
				  Rooms and compartments - Coolers and freezers. The coolers and freezers shall
				  be equipped with facilities for maintaining temperature and humidity conditions
				  to protect the quality and condition of the products during storage or during
				  tempering prior to further processing. Coolers and freezers shall be kept
				  clean, orderly, free from insects, rodents, and mold, and maintained in good
				  repair. Coolers and freezers shall be adequately lighted and proper circulation
				  of air shall be maintained at all times. The floors, walls, and ceilings shall
				  be of such construction as to permit thorough cleaning.
(b) Churn rooms. Churn rooms, in addition to
				  meeting standards of proper construction and sanitation, shall be equipped to
				  ensure that the air is kept free from odors and vapors by means of adequate
				  ventilation and exhaust systems or air conditioning and heating
				  facilities.
(c) Print and bulk
				  packaging rooms. Rooms used for packaging print or bulk butter and related
				  products shall, in addition to meeting standards of proper construction and
				  sanitation, provide an atmosphere relatively free from mold (no more than 10
				  mold colonies per cubic foot of air), dust or other airborne contamination and
				  be maintained at a reasonable room temperature.
(d) Equipment and utensils - General
				  construction, repair, and installation. All equipment and utensils necessary to
				  the manufacture of butter and related products shall meet the same general
				  requirements as outlined in §
										217.74
				  of this title (relating to Requirements for Milk Plants Producing Dairy
				  Products). In addition, the following requirements shall be met for other
				  equipment.
(1) Continuous churn. All
				  product-contact surfaces shall be of non-corrosive material. All nonmetallic
				  product-contact surfaces shall comply with 3-A Standards for Plastic, Rubber,
				  and Rubber-Like Materials. All product-contact surfaces shall be readily
				  accessible for cleaning and inspection.
(2) Conventional churn. Churns shall be
				  constructed of aluminum, stainless steel or equally corrosion-resistant metal,
				  free from cracks, and in good repair. All gasket material shall be fat
				  resistant, nontoxic and durable. Seals around the churn doors shall be
				  tight.
(3) Bulk butter trucks,
				  boats and packers. Bulk butter trucks, boats and packers shall be constructed
				  of aluminum, stainless steel or equally corrosion-resistant metal free from
				  cracks, seams and must have a surface that is smooth and easily
				  cleanable.
(4) Butter, frozen or
				  plastic cream melting machine. Shavers, shredders or melting machines used for
				  rapid melting of butter, frozen or plastic cream shall be of stainless steel or
				  equally corrosion-resistant metal, sanitary construction, and readily cleanable
				  in accordance with 3-A Sanitary Standards.
(5) Printing equipment. All printing
				  equipment shall be designed to be readily demountable for cleaning of
				  product-contact surfaces. All product-contact surfaces shall be aluminum,
				  stainless steel or equally corrosion-resistant metal, or plastic, rubber and
				  rubber like material which meet 3-A Standards, except that conveyors may be
				  constructed of material which can be properly cleaned and maintained in good
				  repair.
(6) Brine tanks. Brine
				  tanks used for the treating of parchment liners shall be constructed of
				  non-corrosive material and have an adequate and safe means of heating the salt
				  solution for the treatment of the liners. The tank shall also be provided with
				  a drainage outlet.
(7) Starter
				  vats. Bulk starter vats shall be of stainless steel or equally
				  corrosion-resistant metal and constructed according to applicable 3-A Sanitary
				  Standards. The vats shall be in good repair, equipped with tight-fitting lids,
				  and have temperature controls.