Production Standards

(1) Personnel. The following requirements apply to any person working in direct contact with food, food contact surfaces, or food packaging during a post maturation process. (a) Personnel shall not exhibit obvious symptoms of disease, e.g. open lesions, boils, sores, or infected wounds, etc. (b) Personnel shall exhibit adequate hygienic practices and personal cleanliness reasonably necessary to prevent food contamination. (c) Personnel shall ensure that gloves worn are impermeable and maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. (d) Personnel shall not store personal belongings or consume food or tobacco in areas where food is exposed or where equipment and utensils are washed. (2) Plants and grounds. The following requirements apply to all production facility areas in the immediate vicinity of food, food contact surfaces, or food packaging used in a post maturation process. (a) Plants and grounds shall be free of live animal activity, including domestic animals. (b) Plants and grounds shall be free of decomposed pests and equipment, waste, and vegetation that may reasonably attract pests, e.g. birds, rodents, insects, etc. The use of pesticides is permitted only under precautions that adequately protect against contamination of food, food contact surfaces, and food packaging. (c) Plants and grounds shall be constructed of materials that can be adequately cleaned and maintained in good repair reasonably necessary to prevent food contamination. (d) Plants and grounds shall include adequate screening for protection against pests. (e) Plants and grounds shall not allow drip or condensate to contaminate food, food contact surfaces, or food packaging, e.g. from fixtures, ducts, or pipes. (3) Facility controls. The following requirements apply to all production facilities licensed for the production of distilled spirits. (a) Facilities shall be supplied with sufficient water from a safe and adequate source reasonably necessary to prevent food contamination. Facilities shall provide water of suitable temperature and adequate pressure in all areas where necessary for employee sanitary practices, food processing, and cleaning of food contact surfaces. DISTILLED SPIRITS CHAPTER 0080-04-03 (b) Facilities shall maintain plumbing of adequate size, design, and construction necessary to convey sewage and liquid waste from the production facility and to prevent backflow or cross connection between potable and non-potable water systems. (c) Facilities shall include hand washing stations supplied with water of a suitable temperature and properly located and stocked (e.g. soap, sanitizers, drying devices, etc.) necessary to facilitate employee handwashing reasonably necessary to prevent food contamination. (4) Operations. The following requirements apply to all production facility areas in the immediate vicinity of food, food contact surfaces, or food packaging used in a post maturation process. (a) Licensees shall maintain all physical facilities (e.g. buildings, fixtures, storage areas, etc.) in a sanitary condition and maintained in good repair reasonably necessary to prevent food contamination. (b) Licensees shall use only cleaning compounds and sanitizing agents that are free from undesirable microorganisms and that are safe and adequate to clean or sanitize under the conditions of use. (c) Licensees shall clean all food contact surfaces in a manner and frequency reasonably necessary to prevent food contamination. (d) Licensees shall use only equipment and utensils that are designed and constructed of materials that can be adequately cleaned and maintained in good repair reasonably necessary to prevent food contamination.