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(continued) rance of waste water, material, and the entrance of vermin to the processing tanks or equipment.

(d) Water supply. There shall be ample supply of both hot and cold water; and the water shall be of safe and sanitary quality with adequate facilities for its (1) distribution throughout buildings, and (2) protection against contamination and pollution.

Sea water of safe suitable and sanitary quality may be used in the processing of various fishery products when approved by NMFS prior to use.

(e) Construction. Roofs shall be weathertight. The walls, ceilings, partitions, posts, doors, and other parts of all buildings and structures shall be of such materials, construction, and finish as to permit their efficient and thorough cleaning. The floors shall be constructed of tile, cement, or other equally impervious material, shall have good surface drainage, and shall be free from openings or rough surfaces which would interfere with maintaining the floors in a clean condition.

(f) Processing rooms. Each room and each compartment in which any processed products are handled, processed, or stored (1) shall be so designed and constructed as to insure processing and operating conditions of a clean and orderly character; (2) shall be free from objectional odors and vapors; and (3) shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

(g) Prevention of animals and insects in official establishment(s). Dogs, cats, birds, and other animals (including, but not being limited to rodents and insects) shall be excluded from the rooms from which processed products are being prepared, handled, or stored and from any rooms from which ingredients (including, but not being limited to salt, sugar, spices, flour, batter, breading, and fishery products) are handled and stored. Screens, or other devices, adequate to prevent the passage of insects shall, where practical, be provided for all outside doors and openings. The use of chemical compounds such as cleaning agents, insecticides, bactericides, or rodent poisons shall not be permitted except under such precautions and restrictions as will prevent any possibility of their contamination of the processed product. The use of such compounds shall be limited to those circumstances and conditions as approved by NMFS.

(h) Inspector's office. Furnished suitable and adequate office space, including, but not being limited to, light, heat, and janitor service shall be provided rent free in official establishments for use for official purposes by the inspector and NMFS representatives. The room or rooms designated for this purpose shall meet with the approval of NMFS and shall be conveniently located, properly ventilated, and provided with lockers or cabinets suitable for the protection and storage of inspection equipment and supplies and with facilities suitable for inspectors to change clothing.

(i) Adequate parking space, conveniently located, for private or official vehicles used in connection with providing inspection services shall be provided.

[36 FR 21040, Nov. 3, 1971]

§ 260.100 Facilities.
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Each official establishment shall be equipped with adequate sanitary facilities and accommodations, including, but not being limited to, the following:

(a) Containers approved for use as containers for processed products shall not be used for any other purpose.

(b) No product or material not intended for human food or which creates an objectionable condition shall be processed, handled, or stored in any room, compartment, or place where any fishery product is manufactured, processed, handled, or stored.

(c) Suitable facilities for cleaning and sanitizing equipment (e.g., brooms, brushes, mops, clean cloths, hose, nozzles, soaps, detergent, sprayers) shall be provided at convenient locations throughout the plant.

[36 FR 21040, Nov. 3, 1971]

§ 260.101 Lavatory accommodations.
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Modern lavatory accommodations, and properly located facilities for cleaning and sanitizing utensils and hands, shall be provided.

(a) Adequate lavatory and toilet accommodations, including, but not being limited to, running hot water (135 °F. or more) and cold water, soap, and single service towels, shall be provided. Such accommodations shall be in or near toilet and locker rooms and also at such other places as may be essential to the cleanliness of all personnel handling products.

(b) Sufficient containers with covers shall be provided for used towels and other wastes.

(c) An adequate number of hand washing facilities serving areas where edible products are prepared shall be operated by other than hand-operated controls, or shall be of a continuous flow type which provides an adequate flow of water for washing hands.

(d) Durable signs shall be posted conspicuously in each toilet room and locker room directing employees to wash hands before returning to work.

(e) Toilet facilities shall be provided according to the following formula:



------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toilet
Number of persons bowls
required
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 to 15, inclusive.......................................... 1
16 to 35, inclusive......................................... 2
36 to 55, inclusive......................................... \1\ 3
56 to 80, inclusive......................................... \1\ 4
For each additional 30 persons in excess of 80.............. \1\ 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Urinals may be substituted for toilet bowls but only to the extent
of one-third of the total number of bowls required.


All toilet equipment shall be kept operative, in good repair, and in a sanitary condition.

[36 FR 21041, Nov. 3, 1971]

§ 260.102 Equipment.
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All equipment used for receiving, washing, segregating, picking, processing, packaging, or storing any processed products or any ingredients used in the manufacture or production thereof, shall be of such design, material, and construction as will:

(a) Enable the examination, segregation, preparation, packaging, and other processing operations applicable to processed products, in an efficient, clean, and sanitary manner, and

(b) Permit easy access to all parts to insure thorough cleaning and effective bactericidal treatment. Insofar as is practicable, all such equipment shall be made of smooth impermeable corrosion-resistant material that will not adversely affect the processed product by chemical action or physical contact. Such equipment shall be kept in good repair and sanitary condition. Such equipment shall be cleaned and sanitized at a frequency as is necessary or required in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice Regulations, 21 CFR part 128.

[36 FR 21041, Nov. 3, 1971]

§ 260.103 Operations and operating procedures shall be in accordance with an effective sanitation program.
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(a) All operators in the receiving transporting, holdings, segregating, preparing, processing, packaging, and storing of processed products and ingredients, used as aforesaid, shall be strictly in accord with clean and sanitary methods and shall be conducted as rapidly as possible and at temperatures that will inhibit and retard the growth of bacterial and other micro-organisms and prevent any deterioration or contamination of such processed products or ingredients thereof. Mechanical adjustments or practices which may cause contamination of foods by oil, dust, paint, scale, fumes, grinding materials, decomposed food, filth, chemicals, or other foreign materials shall not be conducted during any manufacturing or processing operation.

(b) All processed products, raw materials, ingredients, and components thereof shall be subject to inspection during each manufacturing or processing operation. To assure a safe, wholesome finished product, changes in processing methods and procedures as may be required by the Director shall be effectuated as soon as practicable. All processed products which are not manufactured or prepared in accordance with the requirements contained in §260.96 to §260.104 or are unwholesome or otherwise not fit for human food shall be removed and segregated prior to any further processing operation.

(c) Official establishments operating under Federal inspection should have an effective quality control program as appropriate for the nature of the products and processing operations.

(d) All ingredients used in the manufacture or processing of any processed product shall be wholesome and fit for human food.

(e) The methods and procedures employed in the receiving, segregating, handling, transporting, and processing of ingredients in official estab lishment(s) shall be adequate to result in a satisfactory processed product. Such methods and procedures include, but are not limited to, the following requirements:

(1) Containers, utensils, pans, and buckets used for the storage or transporting of partially processed food ingredients shall not be nested unless rewashed and sanitized before each use;

(2) Containers which are used for holding partially processed food ingredients shall not be stacked in such manner as to permit contamination of the partially processed food ingredients;

(3) Packages or containers for processed products shall be clean when being filled with such products; and all reasonable precautions shall be taken to avoid soiling or contaminating the surface of any package or container liner which is, or will be, in direct contact with such products.

(f) Retention tags: (1) Any equipment such as, but not limited to, conveyors, tillers, sorters, choppers, and containers which fail to meet appropriate and adequate sanitation requirements will be identified by the inspector in an appropriate and conspicuous manner with the word “RETAINED.” Following such identification, the equipment shall not be used until the discrepancy has been resolved, the equipment reinspected and approved by the inspector and the “RETAINED” identification removed by the inspector.

(2) Lot(s) of processed products that may be considered to be mislabeled and/or unwholesome by reason of contaminants or which may otherwise be in such condition as to require further evaluation or testing to determine that the product properly labeled and/or wholesome will be identified by the inspector in an appropriate and conspicuous manner with the word “RETAINED.” Such lot(s) of product shall be held for reinspection or testing. Final disposition of the lot(s) shall be determined by NMFS and the removal of the “RETAINED” identification shall be performed by the inspector.

[36 FR 21041, Nov. 3, 1971]

§ 260.104 Personnel.
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The establishment management shall be responsible for taking all precautions to assure the following:

(a) Disease control. No person affected by disease in a communicable form, or while a carrier of such disease, or while affected with boils, sores, infected wounds, or other abnormal sources of microbiological contamination, shall work in a food plant in any capacity in which there is a reasonable possibility of food ingredients becoming contaminated by such person, or of disease being transmitted by such person to other individuals.

(b) Cleanliness. All persons, while working in direct contact with food preparation, food ingredients, or surfaces coming into contact therewith shall:

(1) Wear clean outer garments, maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness, and conform to hygenic practices while on duty, to the extent necessary to prevent contamination of food products.

(2) Wash and sanitize their hands thoroughly to prevent contamination by undesirable microorganisms before starting work, after each absence from the work station, and at any other time when the hands may have become soiled or contaminated.

(3) Remove all insecure jewelry and, when food is being manipulated by hand, remove from hands any jewelry that cannot be adequately sanitized.

(4) If gloves are used in food handling, maintain them in an intact, clean, and sanitary condition. Such gloves shall be of an impermeable material except where their usage would be inappropriate or incompatible with the work involved.

(5) Wear hair nets, caps, masks, or other effective hair restraints. Other persons that may incidentally enter the processing areas shall comply with this requirement.

(6) Not store clothing or other personal belongings, eat food, drink beverages, chew gum, or use tobacco in any form in areas where food or food ingredients are exposed or in areas used for washing equipment or utensils.

(7) Take any other necessary precautions to prevent contamination of foods with microorganisms or foreign substances including, but not limited to perspiration, hair, cosmetics, tobacco, chemicals, and medicants.

(c) Education and training. Personnel responsible for identifying sanitation failures or food contamination should have a background of education or experience, or a combination thereof, to provide a level of competency necessary for production of clean wholesome food. Food handlers and supervisors should receive appropriate training in proper food-handling techniques and food-protection principles and should be cognizant of the danger of poor personal hygiene and unsanitary practices, and other vectors of contamination.

[36 FR 21041, Nov. 3, 1971]

Labeling Requirements
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§§ 260.200-260.201 [Reserved]
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