The requirements for obtaining a sanitary certificate
are:
(1) All applicants must be
currently licensed as either a food processing or milk processing plant in
Washington state with the department of agriculture under
RCW
69.07.040 or
15.36.051.
(2) Sanitary certificate will be issued only
to cover products listed on the license application or otherwise approved by
the department of agriculture.
(3)
Products for certification must not be under embargo or litigation by the
department of agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or other
recognized public health authorities.
(4) An applicant must not be more than ninety
days in arrears in paying for previous sanitary certificates issued.
(5) Any applicant that requests sanitary
certificates must have been inspected by the department of agriculture within
the inspection frequency guidelines established by Washington state department
of agriculture and must be in substantial compliance with applicable food
safety and dairy laws and rules.
(6) The applicant must provide the department
with a declaration in a form acceptable to the department.
(7) Sanitary certificates will be in a form
approved by the department of agriculture that specifies the plant location
where the products were processed and that the plant was inspected and found in
substantial compliance with food safety or dairy laws and rules. No statements
will be made to imply that a product was inspected and passed.
(8) Sanitary certificates will be issued in
the order the requests are received. However advance notice of three business
days is required to ensure that sanitary certificates will be sent by the date
needed.
(9) The department will
deliver sanitary certificate by U.S. mail service. Requests for overnight mail
or fax will be allowed, but must be paid for by requester.
(10) Milk processing plants that request
sanitary certificates for Grade A products must be in compliance with the
Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), or Condensed and Dry Milk Ordinance (DMO), as
applicable.