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(a) The operator of a food establishment shall ensure that
(1) multi-use food-contact surfaces are
(A) smooth and easily cleanable;
(B) free of breaks, open seams, and hard-to-clean internal corners and crevices;
(C) finished to have smooth welds and joints; and
(D) easily accessible for cleaning;
(2) tubing carrying beverage ingredients to dispensing heads does not contact ice that is to be consumed unless the tubing is grommeted at entry and exit points of the ice bin to prevent condensation from entering the ice bin;
(3) equipment intended for in-place cleaning is made so that
(A) washing, rinsing, and sanitizing solutions can be circulated throughout the closed system and contact all interior food-contact surfaces; and
(B) the system is self-draining or capable of complete evacuation by mechanical means;
(4) nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment that are exposed to splash, spillage, or other food soiling, or that require frequent cleaning are
(A) constructed of a corrosion resistant, nonabsorbent, and smooth material, except that unfinished wood may be used for nonfood-contact surfaces in a dry food storage room, walk-in freezer, or utility room;
(B) free of unnecessary ledges, projections, or crevices; and
(C) easily accessible for cleaning;
(5) hood filters are easily cleanable and readily removable for cleaning; and
(6) shelving used in a refrigeration or freezer unit is slotted or perforated to enhance air circulation; the use of unfinished wood shelving in a reach-in refrigeration or freezer unit is prohibited except that unfinished wood may be used as shelving in a walk-in freezer.
(b) Except for a specific food service operation listed in 18 AAC 31.525(b) , the operator of a food service shall provide at least one handwash sink
(1) in the preparation area, except as provided in (2) of this subsection;
(2) in the warewashing area if the same employee who handles soiled utensils also handles cleaned utensils; the department will allow the installation of a single handwash sink to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph and (1) of this subsection if the operator demonstrates to the department's satisfaction that the single sink is convenient to the food preparation and the warewashing area; and
(3) in or next to the exit of each toilet room;
(c) The operator of a market or food processing establishment constructed or extensively remodeled after May 18, 1997 shall provide at least one handwash sink
(1) in the processing area; and
(2) in or next to the exit of each toilet room.
(d) The operator of an establishment shall ensure that each handwash sink has
(1) hot and cold running water under pressure that can be tempered to a temperature between 100 - 120ΓΈ F by a mixing valve or combination faucet;
(2) self-dispensing or metering faucets that provide a flow of water for at least 10 seconds; and
(3) installed in conjunction with each sink either sanitary towels in a dispenser or a hand-drying device that provides heated air.
(e) The operator of a food service that was extensively remodeled or that began operation after May 27, 1983 shall ensure that at least one three-compartment sink is installed in the warewashing area. The operator of a bar or tavern that was extensively remodeled or that began operation after May 27, 1983 shall ensure that a fourth sink compartment is installed in addition to those used for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing. The fourth sink may be used for dumping drinks and handwashing. The department will allow the installation of a two-compartment sink at a limited food service as provided in 18 AAC 31.610(b) (4).
(f) The operator of a food processing establishment or market that uses multi-use utensils, or equipment that must be disassembled for cleaning, and that was extensively remodeled or began operation after May 18, 1997 shall ensure that at least one three-compartment sink is installed in the warewashing area. The department will allow the installation of a two-compartment sink at a market if only nonpotentially hazardous food is processed and very few utensils are used for processing or display.
(g) The operator of a food establishment that is extensively remodeled, that has a significant change in its method of preparation or processing, or that begins operation after May 18, 1997, shall install a separate preparation sink if the menu or method of preparation or processing requires frequent soaking, rinsing, culling, or cleaning of raw ingredients or produce.
(h) The operator of a food establishment that was extensively remodeled or that began operation after May 1983 shall ensure that the establishment has at least one utility sink, or curbed cleaning unit with a floor drain, for cleaning mops, filling mop buckets, and disposing of mop water and similar liquid waste.
(i) A utility sink or curbed cleaning unit with a floor drain is prohibited in a preparation, processing, or warewashing area, or any other location that could cause it to be a source of contamination to food, clean utensils, single-service items, or equipment.
(j) The operator of a food establishment shall ensure that
(1) sinks are self-draining;
(2) warewashing sink compartments are adequate for the complete immersion of most equipment and utensils, with each compartment supplied with hot and cold potable running water under pressure; and
(3) self-draining drainboards are installed on both sides of the warewashing sink unit, adequate in size for stacking soiled utensils and air drying of clean utensils after sanitizing; this requirement does not preclude the use of additional easily movable dishtables for the storage of soiled utensils or for the storage of clean utensils after sanitization and air-drying.
(k) A food establishment operator with existing refrigeration equipment that is in place and in use on June 28, 2001, and that is not capable of maintaining food at 41ΓΈ F or less, may maintain potentially hazardous food at 41ΓΈ F - 45ΓΈ F until June 28, 2006, at which time all food establishment operators shall ensure that potentially hazardous food is maintained at 41ΓΈ F or less.
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
Editor's note: Effective 12/19/99, Register 152, the Department of Environmental Conservation readopted 18 AAC 31.410, to affirm the validity of that section following statutory amendments made in ch. 72, SLA 1998. The department also amended 18 AAC 31.410(h) . Chapter 72, SLA 1998 relocated department authority to adopt regulations in 18 AAC 31 from AS 03.05 to AS 17.20.
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Last modified 7/05/2006