LAC 51:VI.335. Use of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) in Food Plants [formerly paragraph 6:076]

A. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) represent a class of toxic industrial chemicals manufactured and sold under a variety of trade names, including: Aroclor (United States); Phenoclor (France); Colohen (Germany); and Kanaclor (Japan). PCB's are highly stable, heat resistant, and nonflammable chemicals. Industrial uses of PCB's include, or did include in the past, their use as electrical transformer and capacitor fluids, heat transfer fluids, hydraulic fluids, and plasticizers, and in formulations of lubricants, coatings, and inks. Their unique physical and chemical properties, and widespread, uncontrolled industrial applications, have caused PCB's to be a persistent and ubiquitous contaminant in the environment which may cause the contamination of certain foods. In addition, incidents have occurred in which PCB's have directly contaminated animal feeds as a result of industrial accidents (leakage or spillage of PCB's fluids from plant equipment). These accidents in turn cause the contamination of food intended for human consumption (meat, milk, and eggs). B. Since PCB's are toxic chemicals, the PCB contamination of food as a result of these accidents represents a hazard to human health. It is therefore necessary to place certain restrictions on the industrial uses of PCB's in the production, handling, and storage of food. 1. [formerly a part of paragraph 6:076] New equipment, utensils, and machinery for handling or processing food in or around a food plant shall not contain PCB's so as to preclude accidental PCB contamination of food.