Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 40-10-1-.20 - Entry Into Official Establishments, Reinspection and Preparation of Products
(1)
Products and other articles entering official establishment:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in
paragraphs (g) and (h) of this section, no product be brought into an official
establishment unless it has been prepared only in an official establishment and
previously inspected and passed by a Program employee, and is identified by an
official inspection legend as so inspected and passed. Product entering any
official establishment shall not be used or prepared thereat until it has been
reinspected in accordance with
40-10-1-.20(2).
(b) No slaughtered poultry or poultry product
shall be brought into an official establishment unless it has been previously
inspected and passed and is identified as such in accordance with the
requirements of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et
seq.) and the regulations thereunder, and has not been prepared other than in
an establishment inspected under said Act or has been inspected and passed and
is identified as such in accordance with the requirements of a state
law;
(c) Every article for use as
an ingredient in the preparation of meat food products, when entering any
official establishment and at all times while it is in such establishment,
shall bear a label showing the name of the article, the amount or percentage
therein of any substances restricted by this part of
40-10-1-.19 of this chapter, and a
list of ingredients in the article if composed of two or more ingredients. In
addition, the label must show the name and address of the manufacturer or
distributor.
(d) Containers of
preparations which enter any official establishment for use in cooling or
retort water, in hog scalding water, or in denuding of tripe shall at all times
while they are in such establishment bear labels, showing the chemical names of
the chemicals in such preparations. In the case of any preparation containing
any chemicals which are specifically limited by
40-10-1-.21(7)(b)4.
as to amount permitted to be used, the labels on the containers shall also show
the percentage of each such chemical in the preparation;
(e) No prohibited dye, chemical,
preservative, or other substance shall be brought into or kept in an official
establishment for use as an ingredient of human food or animal feed;
(f) All isolated soy protein when entering
and while in any official establishment, must be labeled in accordance with,
and otherwise meet the requirements of
40-10-1-.20(6)(b)11;
(g) Glands and organs, such as cotyledons,
ovaries, prostate glands, tonsils, spinal cords, and detached lymphatic,
pineal, pituitary, parathyroid, suprarenal, pancreatic, and thyroid glands,
used in preparing pharmaceutical, organotherapeutic, or technical products and
which are not used as human food (whether or not they may be prepared at any
official establishments) may be brought into and stored in edible product
departments of inspected establishments if packaged in suitable containers so
that the presence of such glands and organs will in no way interfere with the
maintenance of sanitary conditions or constitute an interference with
inspection. Glands or organs which are regarded as human food products, such as
livers, testicles, and thymus glands, may be brought into official
establishments for pharmaceutical, organic, therapeutic, or technical purposes,
only if Georgia inspected and passed and so identified;
(h) Carcasses of game animals, and carcasses
derived from the slaughter by any person of livestock of his own raising, and
parts of such carcasses, may be brought into an official establishment for
preparation, packaging, and storing provided that they do not result in any
insanitary condition and are segregated from inspected product while in the
official establishment, and, in the case of livestock products they are
adequately marked or otherwise identified, in lieu of other marking or labeling
required by the regulations of this chapter, as being not for sale and with the
name and address of the owner of the products, and provided further, that the
owner of any such carcasses or parts thereof of livestock certifies that the
products thereof are intended exclusively for use by him and members of his
household and his nonpaying guests and employees;
(i) The official establishment shall furnish
such information as the inspector may deem necessary to determine the origin of
any product or other article entering the official establishment. Such
information may include, but is not limited to, the name and address, of the
seller or supplier, transportation company, agent, or broker involved in the
sale or delivery of the product or article in question;
(j) Any product or any poultry or poultry
product or other article that is brought into an official establishment
contrary to any provision of this section may be required by the Commissioner
to be removed immediately from such establishment by the operator thereof, and
failure to comply with such requirement shall be deemed a violation of this
regulation. If any slaughtered poultry or poultry products or other articles
are received at an official establishment and are suspected of being
adulterated or misbranded under the Poultry Products Inspection Act or the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the appropriate governmental authorities
will be notified. Products received in an official establishment during the
inspector's absence shall be held separate and apart in the establishment,
pending inspection by the inspector.
(2) Reinspection, retention, and disposal of
products at official establishments:
(a) All
products and all slaughtered poultry and poultry products brought into any
official establishment shall be identified and reinspected at the time of
receipt, and shall be further subject to reinspection at any official
establishment in such manner and at such times as may be deemed necessary by
the officer in charge to assure compliance with the regulations in this
chapter;
(b) All products, whether
fresh, cured, or otherwise prepared, even though previously inspected and
passed, shall be reinspected by Program employees as often as may be necessary
in order to ascertain that they are not adulterated or misbranded at the time
they enter or leave official establishments;
(c) Reinspection may be accomplished through
use of statistically sound sampling plans that assure a high level of
confidence. The officer in charge shall designate the type of plan and the
program employee shall select the specific plan to be used in accordance with
instructions issued by the Commissioner;
(d) A Ga. Retained Tag shall be placed by a
Program employee at the time of reinspection at any official establishment on
all products which are suspected on such reinspection of being adulterated or
misbranded, and such products shall be held for further inspection. Such tags
shall be removed only by authorized Program employees. When further inspection
is made, if the product is found to be adulterated, all official inspection
legends or other official marks for which the product is found to be eligible
under the regulations in this chapter, shall be removed or defaced and the
product shall be condemned and disposed of in accordance with this chapter,
except that a determination regarding adulteration may be deferred if a product
has become soiled or unclean by falling on the floor or in any other accidental
way or if the product is affected with any other condition which the inspector
deems capable of correction, in which case the product shall be cleaned
(including trimming if necessary) or otherwise handled in a manner approved by
the inspector to assure that it will not be adulterated and shall then be
presented for reinspection and disposal in accordance with this section. If
upon final inspection the product is found to be neither adulterated nor
misbranded, the inspector shall remove the Georgia Retained tag. If a product
is found upon reinspection to be misbranded, but not adulterated, it shall be
held under a Georgia Retained tag, or a Georgia. Detention tag, as provided in
40-10-1-.24 of this chapter, pending
correction of the misbranding or issuance of an order to withhold from use the
labeling or container of the product, or the institution of a judicial seizure
action. The inspector shall make a complete record of each transaction under
this paragraph and shall report his action to the officer in charge.
(3) Designation of places of
receipt of products and other articles for reinspection. Every official
establishment shall designate, with the approval of the officer in charge, a
dock or place at which products and other articles subject to reinspection
shall be received, and such products and articles shall be received only at
such dock or place.
(4) Preparation
of products to be officially supervised; responsibilities of official
establishments:
(a) All processes used in
curing, pickling, rendering, canning, or otherwise preparing any product in
official establishments shall be supervised by Program employees. No fixtures
or appliances, such as tables, trucks, trays, tanks, vats, machines,
implements, cans, or containers of any kind, shall be used unless they are of
such material and construction as will not contaminate or otherwise adulterate
the product and are clean and sanitary. All steps in the process of manufacture
shall be conducted carefully and with strict cleanliness in rooms or
compartments separate from those used for inedible products;
(b) It shall be the responsibility of the
operator of every official-establishment to comply with the Act and the
regulations in this chapter. In order to effectively carry out this
responsibility, the operator of the establishment shall institute appropriate
control programs, approved by the Georgia Meat Inspection Division and
commensurate with the type of activities conducted at the establishment and the
preparation, marking, labeling, and packaging of its products strictly in
accordance with the sanitary and other requirements of this chapter. When such
control programs involve the maintenance of records, such records shall be made
available for review by inspectors.
(5) Requirements concerning procedures:
(a) Frozen product.
1. Care shall be taken to insure that product
is not adulterated when placed in freezers. If there is doubt as to the
soundness of any frozen product, the inspector will require the defrosting and
reinspection of a sufficient quantity thereof to determine its actual
condition.
2. Frozen product may be
defrosted in water or pickle in a manner and with the use of facilities which
are acceptable to the inspector. Before such product is defrosted, a careful
examination shall be made to determine its condition. If necessary, this
examination shall include defrosting of representative samples by means other
than in water or pickle.
(b) Product, such as pork tenderloins,
brains, sweetbreads, stew, or chop suey, shall not be packed in hermetically
sealed metal or glass containers, unless subsequently heat processed or
otherwise treated to preserve the product in a manner approved by the
Commissioner in specific cases.
(c)
Care shall be taken to remove bones and parts of bones from product which is
intended for chopping;
(d) Heads
for use in the preparation of meat food products shall be split and the bodies
of the teeth, the turbinated and ethmoid bones, ear tubes, and horn butts
removed, and the heads then thoroughly cleaned;
(e) Kidneys for use in the preparation of
meat food products shall be first freely sectioned and then thoroughly soaked
and washed. All detached kidneys, including beef kidneys with detached kidney
fat, shall be inspected before being used in or shipped from the
establishment;
(f) Cattle paunches
and hog stomachs for use in the preparation of meat food products shall be
thoroughly cleaned on all surfaces and parts immediately after being emptied of
their contents, which shall follow promptly their removal from the
carcass;
(g) Clotted blood shall be
removed from hog hearts before they are shipped from the establishment or used
in the preparation of meat food products;
(h) Beef rounds, beef bungs, beef middles,
beef bladders, calf rounds, hog bungs, hog middles, and hog stomachs which are
to be used as containers of any meat food product shall be presented for
inspection turned with the fat surface exposed;
(i) Portions of casings which show infection
with Oseophagostomum or other noduleproducing, parasite, and weasands infected
with the larvae of Hypodermalineatum, shall be rejected, except that when the
infestation is slight and the nodules and larvae are removed, the casing or
weasand may be passed.
(6) Requirements concerning ingredients and
other articles used in preparation of products:
(a) All ingredients and other articles used
in the preparation of any product shall be clean, sound, healthful, wholesome,
and otherwise such as will not result in the product being adulterated.
Official establishments shall furnish inspectors accurate information on all
processing procedures, including product composition and any changes in such
procedures essential for the inspectional control of the product;
(b) Casings.
1. The only animal casings that may be used
as containers of product are those from cattle, sheep, swine or
goats.
2. Casings for product shall
be carefully inspected by Program employees. Only those casings which have been
carefully washed and thoroughly flushed with clean water immediately before
stuffing and are suitable for containers, are clean, and are passed on such
inspection shall be used, except that preflushed animal casings packed in salt
or salt and glycerine solution or other approved medium may be used without
additional flushing provided they are found to be clean and otherwise
acceptable and are thoroughly rinsed before use.
3. Hog and sheep casings intended for use as
containers of product may be treated by soaking in or applying thereto sound,
fresh pineapple juice or papain or bromelin or pancreatic extract to permit the
enzymes contained in these substances to act on the casings to make them less
resistant. The casings shall be handled in a clean and sanitary manner
throughout and the treatment shall be followed by washing and flushing the
casings with water sufficiently to effectively remove the substance used and to
terminate the enzymatic action.
4.
On account of the invariable presence of bone splinters, detached spinal cords
may not be used in the preparation of edible product other than by rendering
where they constitute a suitable raw material.
5. Testicles if handled as an edible product
may be shipped from the establishment as such, but they may not be used as an
ingredient of a meat food product.
6. Tonsils shall be removed and shall not be
used as ingredients of meat food products.
7. Blood from livestock may be used as an
ingredient of a meat food product for which a standard is prescribed in .21 of
this subchapter, if permitted by such standard, and may be used in any meat
food product for this no such standard is prescribed in .21 of this subchapter
if it is a common and usual ingredient of such product.
8. Intestines shall not be used as
ingredients in any meat food product for which a standard is prescribed in .21
of this subchapter and shall not be used in other products unless the products
are labeled in accordance with .19(8)(b)30. of this subchapter.
9. Poultry products and egg products (other
than shell eggs) which are intended for use as ingredients of meat food
products shall be considered acceptable for use only when identified as having
been inspected and passed for wholesomeness by the Department when found to be
sound and otherwise acceptable when presented for use. Poultry products and egg
products (other than shell eggs) which have not been so inspected and passed
for wholesomeness shall not be used in the preparation of such meat food
products.
10. Dry milk products
which are intended for use as ingredients of meat food products shall be
considered acceptable for such use only when produced in a plant approved by
the Department and when found to be sound and otherwise acceptable for use. Dry
milk products prepared in a plant not so approved shall not be used in the
preparation of such meat food products.
11. All isolated soy protein used in products
processed in any official establishment shall contain not more than and not
less than 0.1 percent titanium incorporated as food grade titanium dioxide, and
the presence of such substance must be shown on the label of the container of
the isolated soy protein at all times that the article is in the official
establishment.
12. Ingredients for
use in any product may not bear or contain any pesticide chemical or other
residues in excess of levels permitted in
40-10-1-.20(16).
(7) Approval of
substances for use in the preparation of products:
(a) No product shall contain any substance
which would render it adulterated or which is not approved by the
Commissioner;
(b) Under appropriate
declaration as required in
40-10-1-.18 and
40-10-1-.19 of this chapter, the
following substances may be added to product:
1. Common salt, approved sugars (sucrose
(cane or beet sugar), maple sugar, dextrose, invert sugar, honey, corn syrup
solids, corn syrup, and glucose syrup), wood smoke, vinegar, flavorings,
spices, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, potassium nitrite,
and other substances specified in the chart in subparagraph 4. of this
paragraph may be added to products under conditions, if any, specified in this
part or part
40-10-1-.19 of this
chapter.
2. Other harmless
synthetic flavorings may be added to products with the approval of the
Commissioner in specific cases.
3.
Coloring matter and dyes other than those specified in the chart in
subparagraph 4. Of this paragraph, may be applied to products, mixed with
rendered fat, applied to natural and artificial casings, and applied to such
casings enclosing products, if approved by the Commissioner in specific cases.
When any coloring matter or dye is applied to casings, there shall be no
penetration of coloring into the product. When any coloring matter is added to
meat fat shortening containing synthetic flavoring, the product shall be packed
in conventional round shortening containers having a capacity no greater than 3
pounds.
4. The substances specified
in Code of Federal Regulations, 9 CFR, Chapter 3, Part 424.21(c) are acceptable
for use in the processing of products, provided they are used for the purposes
indicated, within the limits of the amounts stated and under other conditions
specified in this part and
40-10-1-.18 of this
chapter.
(c)
Requirements for the use of nitrite and sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate
(isoascorbate) in bacon.
1. With respect to
bacon: Sodium nitrite shall be used at 120 parts per million (ppm) ingoing or
an equivalent amount of potassium nitrite shall be used (148 ppm ingoing); and
550 ppm of sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate (isoascorbate) shall be used.
Sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate have a molecular weight of approximately
198. Hydrated forms of these substances shall be adjusted to attain the
equivalent of 550 ppm of sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate.
2. The Department shall collect samples of
bacon from producing plants and analyze them for the level of nitrosamines by
the thermal energy analyzer (TEA). In the event that a TEA analysis indicates
that a confirmable level of nitrosamines might be present, additional samples
shall be collected and analyzed by gas chromatography. Presumptive positive
results must be confirmed by mass spectrometry before being considered
positive. If, during the interval required for the Department to analyze the
confirmatory samples by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, changes are
made in processing procedures which are expected to result in no confirmable
levels of nitrosamines in bacon produced by these new procedures, an
establishment may submit samples to USDA for analysis upon prior notification
and arrangements with USDA. If, however, an establishment furnishes USDA with
laboratory results from testing five consecutive lots of bacon produced under
the new procedures and the testing is performed by the USDA methodology and
procedures, those results will be utilized in making the determination
concerning the product produced under the new procedures. Should the results of
these tests reveal that confirmable levels of nitrosamine are not indicated in
any of the five consecutive lots, the confirmation analysis by USDA shall be
terminated and the establishment shall revert to normal monitoring status. In
the event the test results continue to indicate nitrosamines, however, USDA
shall proceed in its confirmation analysis on the original samples taken for
confirmation. If any one of the original samples collected by USDA for
confirmation is found to contain confirmable levels of nitrosamines, all bacon
in the producing establishment and all future production will be retained. The
Department shall sample and analyze such retained bacon for nitrosamines on a
lot by lot basis. A production lot shall be that bacon produced by the
establishment in any single shift. Samples from any lot of bacon under
retention found to contain nitrosamines at a confirmable level shall cause the
lot of bacon to be disposed of in a manner to assure it will not form
nitrosamines when cooked. Such disposal may include incorporation of the
uncooked bacon as an ingredient of another meat food product provided it is
processed for eating without further preparation in a manner to preclude the
formation of nitrosamines. Bacon subsequently produced shall not be retained
because of nitrosamines if the operator of the establishment makes adjustments
in the processing of the product and laboratory results obtained by TEA
analysis of samples from five consecutive normal sized lots of bacon indicates
that the product being produced contains no confirmable levels of nitrosamines.
These tests from five consecutive normal sized lots of bacon shall be conducted
by the Department: Provided, however, that if the establishment furnishes the
Department with the results of tests conducted under the methodology and
procedures used by the Department, such test results will be utilized in making
the determination concerning the nitrosamine content of the product. All tests
of bacon for nitrosamines under this subparagraph shall be made on bacon cooked
340 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes on each side. In order to determine that
no confirmable levels of nitrosamines are present in the sample tested, the
testing must be performed by methodology and procedures that would detect the
presence of any nitrosamines at 10 ppb.
(d) No substance may be used in or on any
product if it conceals damage or inferiority or makes the product appear to be
better or of greater value than it is. Therefore:
1. Paprika or oleoresin paprika may not be
used in or on fresh meat, such as steaks, or comminuted fresh meat food
product, such as chopped and formed steaks or patties; or in any other meat
food products consisting of fresh meat (with or without seasoning), except
chorizo sausage and except other meat food products in which paprika or
oleoresin paprika is permitted as an ingredient in a standard of identity or
composition in Part .21 of this subchapter.
2. Sorbic acid, calcium sorbate, sodium
sorbate, and other salts of sorbic acid may not be used in cooked sausage or
any other product; sulfurous acid and salts or sulfurous acid may not be used
in or on any product and niacin or nicotinamide may not be used in or on fresh
product; except that potassium sorbate, propylparaben (propyl
phydroxybenzoate), and calcium propionate may be used in or on any product only
as provided in Code of Federal Regulations, 9 CFR, Chapter 3, Part 424.21(c) or
as approved by the Commissioner in specific cases.
(8) Preservatives and other
substances permitted in product for export only; handling; such product not to
be used for domestic food purposes.
(a)
Preservatives and other substances not permitted in domestic product under the
regulations in this subchapter in this chapter may be used in the preparation
and packing of product intended for export provided the product (1) accords to
the specifications or directions of the foreign purchaser; (2) is not in
conflict with the laws of the country to which it is intended for export; and
(3) is labeled on the outside container to show that it is intended for export,
and is otherwise labeled as required by this subchapter for such export
product.
(b) The preparation and
packing of export product as provided for in paragraph (a) of this section
shall be done in a manner acceptable to the inspector in charge so that the
identity of the export product is maintained conclusively and the preparation
of domestic product is adequately protected. The preservatives and other
substances not permitted in domestic product shall be stored in a room or
compartment separate from areas used to store other supplies and shall be held
under program lock. Use of the preservatives or other substances shall be under
the direct supervision of a Program employee.
(c) The packing of all articles under
paragraph (a) of this section shall be conducted under the direct supervision
of a Program employee.
(d) No
article prepared or packed for export under paragraph (a) of this section shall
be sold or offered for sale for domestic use or consumption, unless exported
shall be destroyed for food purposes under the direct supervision of a Program
employee.
(e) The contents of the
container of any article prepared or packed for export under paragraph (a) of
this section shall not be removed, in whole or in part, from such container
prior to exportation, except under the supervision of a Program employee. If
such contents are moved prior to exportation, then the article shall be either
repacked, in accordance with the provision of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this
section, or destroyed for food purposes under the direct supervision of a
Program employee.
(f) Permission
must be obtained from the Commissioner before meat packed in borax are shipped
from one official establishment to another or to an unofficial establishment
for storage, except such meat prepared for the account of Federal
agencies.
(g) At all times, the
identity of meat to which borax has been added shall be effectively maintained.
In no case shall such meat, nor any trimmings or fat derived from such meat,
whether unwashed or washed, or otherwise treated, be diverted to domestic
use.
(h) Salt used for bulking meat
previously packed in borax may not again be used in an edible products
department other than in connection with the packing of meat in borax. Only
metal equipment shall be used for handling such meat. Particularly effective
cleansing will be required if wooden equipment such as trucks, washing vats,
etc., is used. Boxes from which boraxed meat has been removed may be used for
repacking meat in borax, but their use as containers for other meat will be
dependent upon the effective removal of all traces of borax.
(i) The following instructions pertain to
export cured pork packed in borax for the account of Federal agencies. The meat
may be packed in borax in a room in which there is borax-free meat, provided
proper care is taken to see that the borax-free meat is not affected by the
borax. Under the same condition, meat packed in borax may be received unpacked,
defrosted, soaked, washed, smoked, and repacked in a room where there is other
meat. However, meat originally packed in borax shall at all times be subject to
the restrictions of meat so packed, even though repacked without borax. After
packing or repacking, borax packed meat may be stored in a room with meat not
packed in borax, provided a reasonable degree of separation is maintained
between the two classes of product.
(9) Samples of products, water, dyes,
chemicals, etc., to be taken for examination. Samples of products, water, dyes,
chemicals, preservatives, spices, or other articles in any official
establishment shall be taken, without cost to the Program, for examination, as
often as may be necessary for the efficient conduct of the
inspection.
(10)
Reserved.
(11) Canning
with heat processing and hermetically sealed containers; cleaning containers;
closure; code marking; heat processing; incubation:
(a) Containers which are intended to be
hermetically sealed shall be cleaned thoroughly immediately before filling, and
precaution must be taken to avoid soiling the inner surfaces subsequently.
However, cans in which lard is to be hermetically sealed may be examined
immediately before filling and if found to be acceptably clean by a Program
employee need not be washed;
(b)
Containers of metal, glass, or other material shall be washed in an inverted
position with running water at a temperature of at least 180 degrees
Fahrenheit. The container washing equipment shall be provided with a
thermometer to register the temperature of the water used for cleaning the
containers. In lieu of cleaning with hot water the use of efficient jet-vacuum
type equipment for cleaning cans and jars is permitted before
filling;
(c) Nothing less than
perfect closure is acceptable for hermetically sealed containers.
Heat processing shall follow promptly after closing;
(d) Careful inspection shall be
made of the containers by competent establishment employees immediately after
closing and containers which are defectively closed or show inadequate vacuum
shall not be processed until the defect has been corrected. The containers
shall again be inspected by the establishment employees when they have cooled
sufficiently for handling after processing by heating. The contents of
defective containers shall be condemned unless correction of the defect is
accomplished within 6 hours following the sealing of containers or completion
of the heat processing, as the case may be, except that if the defective
condition is discovered during an afternoon run the cans of product may be held
in coolers at a temperature not exceeding 38 degrees Fahrenheit under
conditions that will promptly and effectively chill them until the defect has
been corrected the following day, short vacuum or overstuffed cans of product
which have not been handled in accordance with this paragraph may be incubated
under Program supervision, after which the cans shall be opened and the sound
product passed for food, and short vacuum or overstuffed cans of product of a
class permitted to be labeled "Perishable, Keep Under Refrigeration" and which
have been kept under adequate refrigeration since processing may be opened and
the sound product passed for food;
(e) Canned products shall not be passed
unless after cooling to atmospheric temperature they show the external
characteristics of sound cans; that is, the cans shall not be overfilled; they
shall have concave sides, excepting the seam side; there shall be no bulging,
and all ends shall be concave; the sides and ends shall conform to the product;
and there shall be no slack or loose tin;
(f) All canned products shall be plainly and
permanently marked on the containers by code or otherwise with the identity of
the contents, and date of canning. The code used and its meaning shall be on
record in the office of the officer in charge;
(g) Canned product must be processed at such
temperature and for such period of time as will assure keeping without
refrigeration under usual conditions of storage and transportation when heating
is relied on for preservation, with the exception of those canned products
which are processed without steam pressure cooking by permission of the
Commissioner in specific cases and labeled "Perishable, Keep Under
Refrigeration;"
(h) Lots of canned
product shall be identified during their handling preparatory to heat
processing by tagging the baskets, cages, or cans with a tag which will change
color on going through the heat processing or by other effective means so as to
positively preclude failure to heat process after closing.
(i) Facilities shall be provided by the
operator of the official establishment for incubation of representative samples
of fully processed canned product. The incubation shall consist of holding the
canned product for the periods of time and at the temperatures prescribed in
subparagraph 4 of this paragraph.
1. The
extent to which incubation tests shall be required depends on conditions such
as the record of the official establishment in conducting canning operations,
the extent to which the establishment furnishes competent supervision and
inspection in connection with the canning operations, the character of the
equipment used, and the degree to which such equipment is maintained at maximum
efficiency. Such factors shall be considered by the officer in charge in
determining the extent of incubation testing at a particular
establishment.
2. In the event of
failure by an official establishment to provide suitable facilities for
incubation of test samples, the officer in charge may require holding of the
entire lot under such conditions and for such period of time as may, in his
discretion, be necessary to establish the stability of the product.
3. The officer in charge may permit lots of
canned product to be shipped from the official establishment prior to
completion of sample incubation when he has no reason to suspect unsoundness in
the particular lots, and under circumstances which will assure the return of
the product to the establishment for reinspection should such action be
indicated by the incubation results.
4. Incubation shall consist of holding the
samples at 95 degrees Fahrenheit for no less than 10 days; except:
(i) Samples of firmly packed luncheon meat
products, and products with high fat content such as chorizos packed in lard,
and products weighing 3 pounds or more shall be held at 95 degrees Fahrenheit
for not less than 20 days;
(ii)
Samples of products composed of chunks or patties of meat in a medium or sauce
wherein the pH of the meat component and the medium or sauce are significantly
different shall be incubated at 95 degrees Fahrenheit for no less than 30
days.
(12) Preparation of dog food or similar
uninspected article at official establishments:
(a) When dog food, or similar uninspected
article is prepared in an edible product department, there shall be sufficient
space allotted and adequate equipment provided so that the preparation of the
uninspected article in no way interferes with the handling or preparation of
edible products. Where necessary to avoid adulteration of edible products,
separate equipment shall be provided for the uninspected article. To assure the
maintenance of sanitary conditions in the edible products departments, the
operations incident to the preparation of the uninspected article will be
subject to the same sanitary requirements that apply to all operations in
edible product departments. The materials used in the preparation of the
uninspected article shall not be used so as to interfere with the inspection of
edible product or the maintenance of sanitary conditions in the department or
render any edible product adulterated. The meat, meat byproducts, and meat food
product ingredients of the uninspected article may be admitted into any edible
products department of an official establishment only if they are Georgia
Inspected and Passed. Products within
40-10-1-.16(11) of
this chapter or parts of carcasses of kinds not permitted under the regulations
in food (e.g., hog lungs or intestines), which are produced at any official
establishment, may be brought into the inedible products department of any
official establishment for use in uninspected articles under this section. The
uninspected article may be stored in, and distributed from, edible product
departments: Provided, that adequate facilities are furnished, there is no
interference with the maintenance of sanitary conditions, and such article is
properly identified;
(b) When dog
food or similar uninspected article is prepared in part of an official
establishment other than an edible product department the area in which the dog
food is prepared shall be separated from edible product departments in the
manner required for separation between edible product departments and inedible
product departments. Sufficient space must be allotted and adequate equipment
provided so that the preparation of the uninspected article does not interfere
with the proper functioning of other operations at the establishment. Nothing
in this paragraph shall be construed as permitting any deviation from the
requirement that dead animals, condemned products, and similar materials of
whatever origin, must be placed in the inedible product rendering equipment,
and without undue delay. The preparation of the uninspected product must be
such as not to interfere with the maintenance of general sanitary conditions on
the premises, and it shall be subject to inspectional supervision similar to
that exercised over other inedible product departments. Trucks, barrels, and
other equipment shall be cleaned before being returned to edible product
departments from inedible product departments. Unoffensive material prepared in
outside edible product departments may be stored in, and distributed from,
edible product departments only if packaged in clean, properly identified,
sealed containers;
(c) Animal food
shall be distinguished from articles of human food, so as to avoid the
distribution of such animal food as human food. To accomplish this, labeling of
hermetically sealed, retort processed, conventional retail size containers, as
for example, "dog food" will be considered sufficient. If not in such
containers the product must not only be properly identified as animal food but
it must be of such character or so denatured or decharacterized as to deter its
use for human food. Animal food shall not be represented as being a human
food.
(13) Mixtures
containing product but not amenable to the Act. Mixtures containing product but
not classed as a meat food product under the Act shall not bear the inspection
legend or any abbreviation or representation thereof. When such mixtures are
prepared in any part of an official establishment, the sanitation of that part
of the establishment shall be supervised by Program employees, and the
preparation of such mixtures shall not cause any deviation from the requirement
that no uninspected products shall be brought into the establishment.
(14) Adulteration of products by flood water,
etc.; procedure for handling:
(a) Any product
at any official establishment which has been adulterated by contamination with
flood water, harbor water, or other polluted water, shall be condemned. This
would not apply to a product in sound, hermetically sealed
containers;
(b) After flood water
has receded at an official establishment, the operator shall cause its
employees to thoroughly cleanse all walls, ceilings, posts and floors of the
rooms and compartments; involved, including the equipment therein, under the
supervision of a Program employee. An adequate supply of hot water, under
pressure, is essential for effective cleaning of the rooms and equipment. After
cleansing, a solution of sodium hypochlorite containing approximately one-half
of one percent available chlorine (5000 parts per million), or other
disinfectant approved by the Commissioner shall be applied to the surface of
the rooms. Where the solution has been applied to equipment which will
afterwards contact meat, the equipment shall be rinsed with clean water before
being used. All metal should be rinsed with clean water to prevent
corrosion;
(c) Hermetically sealed
containers of product which have been submerged or otherwise contaminated by
flood water, harbor water, or other polluted water shall be rehandled promptly
under supervision of a Program employee at official establishments as follows:
1. Separate and condemn all product the
containers of which show extensive rusting or corrosion, such as might
materially weaken the container, as well as any swollen, leaky, or otherwise
suspicious container.
2. Remove
paper labels and wash the container in warm soapy water, using a brush where
necessary to remove rust or other foreign material, immerse in solution of
sodium hypochlorite containing not less than 100 parts per million of available
chlorine or other disinfectant approved for purposes of this chapter and rinse
in clean fresh water and dry thoroughly. An alternative method of rehandling
such products would be to immerse the containers in 212 degrees Fahrenheit
water, bring temperature back to 212 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain for 5
minutes, then remove containers from the water and cool to 95 degrees
Fahrenheit and dry thoroughly.
3.
After handling as described in subparagraph 2. of this paragraph, the
containers may be relacquered, if necessary, and then relabeled with approved
labels applicable to the product therein.
4. The identity of the canned product shall
be maintained throughout all stages of the rehandling operations, to insure
correct labeling of all containers.
(15) Tagging chemicals, preservatives,
cereals, spices, etc., "Ga. Retained." When any chemical, preservative, cereal,
spices, or other substance is intended for use in an official establishment, it
shall be examined by a Program employee and if found to be unfit or otherwise
unacceptable for use intended, or if final decision regarding acceptance is
deferred pending laboratory or other examination, the employee shall attach a
"Ga. Retained" tag to the substance or container thereof. The substance so
tagged shall be kept separate from other substances as the officer in charge
may require and shall not be used until the tag is removed, and such removal
shall be made only by a Program employee after a finding that the substance can
be accepted, or, in the case of an unacceptable substance, when it is removed
from the establishment.
(16)
Pesticide chemicals and other residues in products:
(a) Nonmeat ingredients. Residues of
pesticide chemicals, food additives and color additives or other substances in
or on ingredients (other than meat, meat byproducts and meat food products)
used in the formulation of products shall not exceed the levels permitted under
the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and such nonmeat ingredients must be
in compliance with the requirements under that Act;
(b) Products, and meat, meat byproducts or
meat food product ingredients. Products, and products used as ingredients of
products, shall not bear or contain any pesticide chemical, food additive or
color residue in excess of the level permitted under the Federal Food, Drug and
Cosmetic Act and the regulations in this chapter, or any other substance that
is prohibited by such regulations or that otherwise make the product
adulterated;
(c) Standards and
procedures. Instructions specifying the standards and procedures for
determining when ingredients or finished products are in compliance with this
section shall be issued to the inspectors by the Commissioner. Copies of such
instructions will be made available to interested persons upon request made to
the Commissioner.
(17)
Requirements for the production of cooked beef, and cooked corned beef.
(a) Cooked beef and roast beef, including
sectioned and formed roasts and chunked and formed roasts, and cooked corned
beef shall be prepared by one of the time and temperature combinations in the
following table. The stated temperature is the minimum which shall be produced
and maintained in all parts of each piece of meat for at least the stated time:
Table for Time/Temperature Combination for Cooked Beef, Roast Beef, and Cooked Corned Beef
|
Minimum Internal Temperature Degrees Fahrenheit Degrees Centigrade |
Minimum Processing Time (minutes) after Degrees minimum temperature is reached |
|
|
130 |
54.4 |
121 |
|
131 |
55.0 |
97 |
|
132 |
55.6 |
77 |
|
133 |
56.1 |
62 |
|
134 |
56.7 |
47 |
|
135 |
57.2 |
37 |
|
136 |
57.8 |
32 |
|
137 |
58.4 |
24 |
|
138 |
58.9 |
19 |
|
139 |
59.5 |
15 |
|
140 |
60.0 |
12 |
|
141 |
60.6 |
10 |
|
142 |
61.1 |
8 |
|
143 |
61.7 |
6 |
|
144 |
62.2 |
5 |
|
145 |
62.8 |
Instantly |
(b)
Cooked beef, including sectioned and formed roasts and chunked and formed
roasts, and cooked corned beef shall be moist cooked throughout the process or,
in the case of roast beef or corned beef to be roasted, cooked as provided in
paragraph (c) of this section. The moist cooking may be accomplished by (1)
placing the meat in a sealed moisture impermeable bag, removing the excess air,
and cooking, (2) completely immersing the meat, unbagged, in water throughout
the entire cooking processing, or (3) using a sealed oven or steam injection to
raise the relative humidity above 90 percent throughout the cooking
process.
(c) Roast beef or corned
beef to be roasted shall be cooked by one of the following methods:
1. Heating roasts of 10 pounds or more in an
oven maintained at 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Centigrade) or higher
throughout the process;
2. Heating
roasts of any size to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit
(62.8 degrees Centigrade) in an oven maintained at any temperature if the
relative humidity of the oven is maintained either by continuously introducing
steam for 50 percent of the cooking time or by use of a sealed oven for over 50
percent of the cooking time, or if the relative humidity of the oven is
maintained at 90 percent or above for at least 25 percent of the total cooking
time, but in no case less than 1 hour; or
3. Heating roasts of any size in an oven
maintained at any temperature that will satisfy the internal temperature and
time requirements of paragraph (a) of this section if the relative humidity of
the oven is maintained at 90 percent or above for at least 25 percent of the
total cooking time, but in no case less than 1 hour. The relative humidity may
be achieved by use of steam injection or by sealed ovens capable of producing
and maintaining the required relative humidity.
(d) Monitoring equipment.
1. Except as provided in paragraph (d)2 of
this section, establishments producing cooked beef, roast beef, and cooked
corned beef shall have sufficient monitoring equipment, including recording
devices, to assure that the time (within one minute), the temperature (within
11 degrees Fahrenheit) and relative humidity (within 5 percent) limits required
by these processes are being met. Data from the recording devices shall be made
available to a program employee upon request.
2. In lieu of recording devices,
establishments may propose in the written procedures prescribed in paragraph
(f) of this section, and alternative means of providing inspection personnel
with evidence that finished product has been prepared in compliance with the
humidity requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, and the
145° F (62.80 degrees Centigrade) temperature requirement of paragraph (a)
of this section.
(e)
Each package of finished product shall be plainly and permanently marked on the
immediate container with the date of production either in code or with the
calendar date.
(f) In order to
assure that cooked beef, roast beef, and cooked corned beef are handled,
processed, and stored under sanitary conditions, the establishment shall submit
a set of written procedures through the inspector in charge for approval by the
Program Director.
The written procedures shall contain the following information:
1. The temperature to
which raw frozen product is thawed and the time required.
2. The lot identification procedure for lots
of product during processing.
3.
The storage time and temperature combinations which the establishment intends
to use before cooking, the cooking time and temperature the establishment
intends to use, and the time, if any, the establishment intends to wait after
cooking and before cooling.
4. If a
code, instead of a calendar date, is used on the immediate container of the
finished product, its meaning shall also be included.
5. Any other critical control points in the
procedures which could affect the safety of the product.
6. In lieu of recording devices, the
alternate means permitted by .20(17)(d)2 of providing evidence to inspection
personnel that the finished product will be prepared in compliance with
temperature or humidity requirements.
7. Any other alternate procedure used that is
permitted in this section.
(g) The establishment shall maintain records
and reports which document the time, temperature, and humidity at which any
cooked beef, roast beef, or cooked corned beef is cooked and cooled at the
establishment. Such records shall be kept by the establishment for 6 months or
for such further period as the Commissioner may require for purposes of any
investigation or litigation under the Act, by written notice to the person
required to keep such records. Such records shall be made available to the
inspector and any duly authorized representative of the Secretary upon
request.
(h) The handling and
processing of cooked beef, roast beef, and cooked corned beef before, during
and after cooking shall be such as to prevent the finished product from being
adulterated. As a minimum, they shall be controlled as follows:
1. The establishment shall notify the
inspector in charge which processing procedure will be used on each lot,
including time and temperature.
2.
In order to assure uniform heat penetration and consequent adequate cooking of
each piece of beef, individual pieces of raw product in any one lot shall
either not vary in weight by more than 2 pounds or not vary in thickness by
more than 2 inches at the thickest part. Alternate methods of assuring uniform
heat penetration may be submitted in writing for approval to the Regional
Director.
3. A water-based solution
that is used for injecting or immersing the meat shall be refrigerated to 50
degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Centigrade) or lower from the time it contacts
the meat, and shall be filtered each time it is recirculated or
reused.
4. A nonmeat ingredient,
including the water-based solution in (h)3 above, which has contacted meat
shall be discarded at the end of that day's production unless it is in
continuous contact with one batch of product.
5. Product prepared for cooking shall be
entered into the cooking cycle within 2 hours of completion of precooking
preparation or be placed immediately in a cooler at a temperature of 40 degrees
Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Centigrade) or lower.
6. The time and temperature requirements
shall be met before any product in the lot is removed from the cooking units.
Unless otherwise specified in the written procedures approved in accordance
with paragraph (f) of this section, the heat source shall not be shut off until
these requirements are met.
7.
Other than incidental contact caused by water currents during immersion cooking
or cooling, product shall be placed so that it does not touch or overlap other
products. This provision does not apply to product that is stirred or agitated
to assure uniform heat transfer.
8.
Temperature sensing devices shall be so placed that they monitor product in the
coldest part of the cooking unit; and when oven temperature is required by
paragraph (c) of this section, the oven temperature shall also be monitored in
the coldest part of the cooking unit.
9. If a humidity sensing device is required
in an oven, it shall be placed so that it measures humidity in either the oven
chamber or at the exit vent.
10.
Chilling shall begin within 90 minutes after the cooking cycle is completed.
(i) All product shall be chilled from 120
degrees Fahrenheit (48.80 degrees Centigrade) to 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12.70
degrees Centigrade) in no more than 6 hours.
(ii) Chilling shall continue and the product
shall not be packed for shipment until it has reached 40 degrees Fahrenheit
(4.4 degrees Centigrade).
11. Any establishment that has experienced a
cooking process deviation during preparation of product may either reprocess
the product completely, continue the heating to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (62.8
degrees Centigrade), or contact the Regional Director for a review of the
process schedule for adequacy and, if needed, for a cooking schedule to finish
that one batch of product.
12. An
establishment that has experienced a cooking deviation after the product has
been cooked shall contact the Regional Director to determine the disposition of
that retained product.
(i) Cooked beef, roast beef, and cooked
corned beef shall be so handled to assure that the product is not
recontaminated by direct contact with raw product. To prevent direct
contamination of the cooked product, establishments shall:
1. Physically separated areas where raw
product is handled from areas where exposed cooked product is handled, used a
solid impervious floor to ceiling wall; or
2. Handle raw and exposed cooked product at
different times, with a cleaning of the entire area after the raw material
handling is completed and prior to the handling of cooked product in that area;
or
3. Submit a written procedure
for approval through the inspector in charge to the District Supervisor
detailing the steps to be taken which would avoid recontamination of cooked
product by raw product during processing.
(j) To prevent indirect contamination of
cooked product:
1. Any work surface, machine,
or tool which contacts raw product shall be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized
with a solution germicidally equivalent to 50 ppm chlorine before it contacts
cooked product;
2. Employees shall
wash their hands and sanitize them with a solution germicidally equivalent to
50 ppm chlorine whenever they enter the heat processed product area or before
preparing to handle cooked product, and as frequently as necessary during
operations to avoid product contamination; and
3. Outer garments, including aprons, smocks,
and gloves shall be especially identified as restricted for use in cooked
product areas only, changed at least daily, and hung in a designated location
when the employee leaves the area.
(k) Cooked product shall not be stored in the
same room as raw product unless it is first packaged in a sealed, water-tight
container or is otherwise protected by a covering that has been approved, upon
written request, by the District Supervisor.
Notes
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No prior version found.