Title 18 . Environmental Conservation

Chapter 31 . Administrative Enforcement

Section 420. Cleaning and sanitizing

18 AAC 31.420. Cleaning and sanitizing

(a) The operator of a food establishment shall ensure that

(1) except as otherwise specified in this section, utensils, including tableware, and food-contact surfaces of equipment are washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use;

(2) fixed equipment or equipment too large to be cleaned in sinks is washed, rinsed, and sanitized by hand or by pressure spraying;

(3) food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils are washed, rinsed, and sanitized or replaced with clean and sanitized equipment and utensils after each time there is a change in processing between raw beef or other red meats, raw pork, raw poultry, raw game meat, or raw seafood, or a change in processing from raw to ready-to-eat food;

(4) food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils used in portioning or baking nonpotentially hazardous bakery foods are washed, rinsed, and sanitized at least every 24 hours;

(5) food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils used to prepare or serve potentially hazardous food on a continuous or production-line basis

(A) are washed, rinsed, and sanitized at least every four hours during production or replaced with clean and sanitized equipment and utensils; or

(B) in a refrigerated room maintained at 50ΓΈ F or below must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized at least every 24 hours;

(6) temperature probes or thermometers used in a food product are cleaned and sanitized

(A) before the internal food temperature is taken;

(B) after use, and before storage; and

(C) between use with raw and with ready-to-eat foods;

(7) food-contact surfaces of grills and griddles are cleaned at least once each day;

(8) the cavities and door seals of microwave ovens are cleaned at least once each day;

(9) nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment are kept free of dust, dirt, food particles, grease, and other debris;

(10) cloths used to wipe food spills on tableware such as plates or bowls are clean, dry, and used for no other purpose; and

(11) moist cloths

(A) used to wipe food spills on utensils and food-contact surfaces of equipment are clean and rinsed frequently in an approved sanitizing solution, and are used for no other purpose;

(B) used to clean nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment such as counters, dining table tops, and shelves are clean and rinsed frequently in an approved sanitizing solution, and are used for no other purpose;

(C) when not in use, are stored in an approved sanitizing solution; clean moist cloths must be stored in a clean approved sanitizing solution; and

(D) are laundered daily.

(b) For manual washing, rinsing, and sanitizing of utensils and equipment, the operator of a food establishment shall

(1) clean the sinks;

(2) pre-rinse, scrape, or soak the utensils and equipment as necessary to remove large food particles;

(3) wash thoroughly in the first compartment of the sink with a hot (120ΓΈ F) detergent solution that is changed frequently to maintain cleanliness;

(4) rinse thoroughly in the second compartment in warm water that is changed frequently to maintain cleanliness;

(5) sanitize in the third compartment as described in (c) of this section; and

(6) air dry.

(c) The operator of a food establishment shall ensure that food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils are sanitized by

(1) immersion for at least 30 seconds in clean water at a temperature of 170ΓΈ F or above;

(2) immersion for at least 30 seconds in a clean sanitizing solution at a temperature of 75ΓΈ F or above when using one of the following sanitizing solutions:

(A) 50 parts per million (ppm) of available chlorine as hypochlorite;

(B) 12.5 - 25 ppm of available iodine with a pH no higher than 5.0;

(C) quaternary ammonium compound at a concentration specified by the manufacturer on the label, with a pH no less than 6.0, water hardness no greater than 500 ppm, and following the manufacturer's recommendations regarding use of a final rinse after sanitization; or

(D) any other sanitizing agent approved by the department that will provide the same bactericidal effect as the solutions described in (A) - (C) of this paragraph;

(3) treatment for at least 30 seconds with steam that is free from harmful substances; or

(4) rinsing, spraying, or swabbing with a clean sanitizing solution described in (2) of this subsection if the equipment is too large for immersion.

(d) If chemicals are used for sanitizing, the operator of a food establishment shall ensure that a test kit, test strips, or another device, such as a product thermometer, is provided and used often to ensure compliance with the concentration and temperature requirements of (c) of this section.

(e) If hot water is used for sanitizing, the operator of a food establishment shall ensure that

(1) an integral heating device is installed that will keep the water at a temperature of 170ΓΈ F or above;

(2) a numerically-scaled, indicating thermometer accurate to /+ 3ΓΈ F is installed; and

(3) dish baskets are used that permit complete immersion of tableware, kitchenware, and equipment in the hot water.

(f) For mechanical washing, rinsing, and sanitizing, the operator of a food establishment shall ensure that

(1) a machine or device that automatically washes, rinses, and sanitizes equipment and utensils is used, properly installed, maintained in good repair, and operated in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations regarding matters, such as cycle temperatures, cycle times, and conveyor speed;

(2) equipment and utensils washed by machine are exposed to all cycles;

(3) a one-quarter inch iron pipe size (IPS) valve is installed immediately upstream from the fresh hot water sanitizing rinse control valve of a warewashing machine to ensure that the pressure is between 15 and 25 pounds per square inch during the sanitizing rinse;

(4) machine-mounted or waterline-mounted, numerically-scaled, indicating thermometers, accurate to /+ 3ΓΈ F, are installed to continuously measure the water temperature in each tank and immediately upstream of the final rinse water entering the manifold;

(5) self-draining drainboards are provided on both sides of the warewashing machine, adequate in size for stacking soiled utensils and air drying cleaned utensils after sanitization; this requirement does not preclude the use of additional easily cleanable dishtables for the storage of soiled utensils or for the storage of cleaned utensils after sanitization and air drying;

(6) large food particles and soil are removed by pre-rinsing, soaking, or scraping before equipment or utensils are washed in a warewashing machine, unless a prewash cycle is used;

(7) equipment and utensils are placed in racks, trays, baskets, or conveyors;

(8) machines using chemicals for sanitizing are used only if

(A) the temperature of the wash water is 120ΓΈ F or above;

(B) the wash water is clean;

(C) the sanitizer is automatically dispensed;

(D) utensils and equipment are exposed to the sanitizing solution according to the manufacturer's instructions;

(E) the sanitizing solution temperature is at least the temperature specified by the manufacturer; and

(F) a test kit, test strip, or another device to measure the concentration of the sanitizing solution accurately is provided and used often to ensure compliance with the concentration requirements of (c)(2) of this section;

(9) machines using hot water for sanitizing are used only if the wash water and rinse water are clean, the temperature on the surface of the plate or utensil is raised to 160ΓΈ F or above at the end of the sanitizing cycle, and the temperatures of the wash and rinse waters are maintained as required by Table D of this section;

TABLE D TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS FOR MACHINES USING HOT WATER FOR SANITIZING Single-tank, stationary-rack, dual-temperature machine: Wash temperature 150ΓΈ F Final rinse temperature 180ΓΈ F Single-tank, stationary-rack, single-temperature machine: Wash temperature 165ΓΈ F Final rinse temperature 165ΓΈ F Single-tank conveyor machine: Wash temperature 160ΓΈ F Final rinse temperature 180ΓΈ F Multi-tank, conveyor machine: Wash temperature 150ΓΈ F Pumped rinse temperature 160ΓΈ F Final rinse temperature 180ΓΈ F Single-tank, pot, pan, and utensil washer: Wash temperature 140ΓΈ F Final rinse temperature 180ΓΈ F

(10) warewashing machines are cleaned thoroughly at least once each day; and

(11) equipment and utensils are air dried after sanitizing and before storage.

(g) Utensils that have been air dried may be polished with cloths that are kept clean and dry.

History: Eff. 5/18/97, Register 142; am/readopt 12/19/99, Register 152; am 6/28/2001, Register 158

Authority: AS 17.20.005

AS 17.20.020

AS 17.20.072

AS 17.20.180

AS 17.20.290

AS 44.46.020

Editor's note: Effective 12/19/99, Register 152, the Department of Environmental Conservation readopted 18 AAC 31.420, to affirm the validity of that section following statutory amendments made in ch. 72, SLA 1998. The department also amended 18 AAC 31.420(a) . Chapter 72, SLA 1998 relocated department authority to adopt regulations in 18 AAC 31 from AS 03.05 to AS 17.20.