Pennsylvania Administrative Code

§ 37.13. Objectionable conditions. Food processing plants shall be located in areas reasonably free from objectionable odors, smoke, fly ash and dust or other contamination. Objectionable conditions are often prevalent in the environs of the following facilities, though not limit…

EQUIPMENT § 37.131. Insulation and refrigeration. Vehicles used for transportation shall be equipped with insulation and mechanical refrigeration systems, or other refrigeration methods or facilities capable of maintaining an air and product temperature of 0°F, or lower, while lo…

§ 37.132. Sensory devices. Vehicles used for transportation shall be equipped with a thermometer or other appropriate means of temperature measurement, indicating air temperature inside the vehicle. The dial or reading element of the thermometer shall be mounted on the outside of…

§ 37.133. General requirement for route delivery vehicles. Vehicles used for route delivery shall comply with all equipment provisions specified in this chapter for vehicles used for transportation, and shall in addition be equipped with curtains or flaps in the doorway area, or …

§ 37.14. Accessways; parking areas. Adequate, dust-proof accessways for all vehicular traffic, connecting loading and unloading areas of the plant to the public streets, shall be available. Employe parking areas and access roads close by the food processing plant shall be hard su…

HANDLING PRACTICES FOR OVER-THE-ROAD TRANSPORTATION § 37.141. Precooling. Vehicles shall be precooled to an air temperature of 20°F or lower before loading. Cross References This section cited in 7 Pa. Code § 37.151 (relating to general requirement).

§ 37.142. Minimum temperature requirements. Frozen food shipments shall not be accepted for transportation when the internal product temperature exceeds 0°F, except that shipments in transit at a higher temperature shall not be considered in violation of this section if the bill …

§ 37.143. Loading. Frozen food shall be loaded in a transportation vehicle so as to provide free circulation of refrigerated air at the front, rear, top, bottom and both sides of the load, except for vehicles of envelope construction in which refrigerated air circulates within th…

§ 37.144. Operation of refrigeration unit. The mechanical refrigerating unit of vehicles shall be turned on and doors of vehicles shall be kept closed or curtained during any time interval when loading or unloading operations cease. Cross References This section cited in 7 Pa. Co…

§ 37.145. Temperature determination. The average product temperature of any shipment of frozen food shall be determined during loading and unloading by adequate temperature readings. Cross References This section cited in 7 Pa. Code § 37.151 (relating to general requirement).

§ 37.15. Expansion. When planning a plant, due consideration shall be given to providing for an arrangement of buildings and necessary space to permit future expansion. Coolers, freezers, and the various processing departments shall be so located that they may be enlarged without…

HANDLING PRACTICES FOR ROUTE DELIVERY § 37.151. General requirement. Sections 37.141—37.145 (relating to handling practices for over-the-road transportation) apply to handling in route delivery.

§ 37.152. Refrigeration. Lots for individual consignment which are to be sold in a frozen state shall be refrigerated by means of mechanical refrigeration, dry ice, or by any other means capable of maintaining an air and product temperature of 0°F or lower.

§ 37.153. Precooling. Insulated containers shall be precooled to a temperature of 20°F or lower before being loaded with frozen food.

§ 37.154. Doors. Doors of vehicles shall be kept closed during any time interval that loading or unloading operations cease.

§ 37.16. Potable water. The plant shall have an ample supply of potable water available from an approved public or private source as specified in 42 CFR 72.101—72.105.

SANITARY PROVISIONS § 37.161. Interior surfaces. Interior surfaces of vehicles and devices used for transporting frozen food shall be clean and free of objectionable odors before being loaded with frozen food.

§ 37.162. Packaging. Frozen food shall be securely packaged or wrapped in a sanitary manner before it is accepted for transportation.

§ 37.17. Nonpotable water. (a) Whenever a nonpotable water supply is necessary it shall not be used in a manner which will bring it into contact with the product or product zone of equipment. (b) Nonpotable water systems shall be kept entirely separate from the potable water supp…

EQUIPMENT § 37.171. Refrigeration capacity; minimum temperature. (a) Warehouses shall be equipped with suitable mechanical refrigeration capacity to maintain, under extreme outside temperature and peak load conditions, an air temperature of 0°F or lower. (b) Storage rooms and all…

§ 37.172. Thermometers. (a) Each storage room shall be equipped with a thermometer or some other temperature measuring device which is easily visible. (b) The sensing element of thermometers and other temperature measuring and recording devices shall be located not more than 6 fe…

§ 37.173. Break-up rooms. Break-up rooms shall be maintained at temperatures not in excess of 20°F.

§ 37.18. Equipment installation. Equipment shall be so installed and used that back siphonage of foreign liquids into the potable water lines is impossible.

HANDLING PRACTICES § 37.181. Acceptance of shipments. (a) The operator of a warehouse shall not accept custody of a lot or shipment of frozen food if internal product temperature exceeds 0°F, except as provided in § § 37.2 and 37.3 (relating to air temperature; and internal produ…

§ 37.182. Identification. Before lots of frozen food are placed in storage they shall be given lot numbers for effective identification.

§ 37.183. Storage of frozen food. (a) Frozen food in storage shall be placed on dunnage, pallets, racks or skids and shall be stored no closer than 18 inches to the ceiling and otherwise stored so as to permit free circulation of refrigerated air. (b) Frozen food shall be stored …

§ 37.184. Defrosting. During the defrosting of overhead coils in storage rooms stacks of frozen food shall be effectively protected from contamination by condensation, drip or leakage.

§ 37.185. Break-up rooms for storage. Break-up rooms shall not be used for storage unless the temperature is kept below 0°F.

§ 37.186. Removal from warehouse. At time of removal from warehouse custody the internal product temperature of frozen food shall not exceed 0°F unless authorized by the owner to begin a defrost cycle.

§ 37.19. Hot and cold water; clean-up. (a) Hot and cold water in ample supply shall be provided for all plant cleanup needs. (b) Hoses used for cleanup shall be stored on racks or reels when not in use.

SANITARY PROVISIONS § 37.191. General. (a) Floors, walls and ceilings of a warehouse shall be maintained in a good sanitary condition. (b) Premises of a warehouse shall be maintained in a good sanitary condition.

§ 37.192. Toilet facilities. Warehouses shall have water flush toilets so located as to be convenient to all employes. Toilet rooms shall be well lighted and ventilated and shall be maintained in a sanitary condition. The doors of all toilet rooms shall be full-length and self-cl…

§ 37.193. Hand washing facilities. (a) Adequate hand washing facilities, including hot and cold or warm running water, powdered or liquid soap in a suitable dispenser, and single service towels or hot air dryers, shall be provided adjacent to all toilet rooms. Wash rooms shall be…

§ 37.194. Dressing rooms. Warehouses shall have a dressing room or rooms for the changing and hanging of wearing apparel. If individual lockers are provided, they shall be well vented and maintained in a clean, sanitary condition, and shall be free from disagreeable odors. The dr…

§ 37.2. Air temperature. All frozen food shall be held at an air temperature of 0°F or lower, except for defrost cycles, loading and unloading or for other temporary conditions beyond the immediate control of the person under whose care or supervision the frozen food is held. Onl…

§ 37.20. Sewage systems. (a) Disposal of liquid wastes shall be through the public sewage system, if available and permitted by local ordinances, or by a properly designed and installed private facility. (b) Private liquid waste treatment facilities shall be approved by the healt…

EQUIPMENT § 37.201. Temperature of storage facilities. Storage facilities shall be equipped with suitable mechanical refrigeration capacity to maintain, under extreme outside temperature and peak load conditions, an air temperature of 0°F or lower.

§ 37.202. Storage cabinets. When storage facilities of cabinet type are used they shall be all of the following: (1) Defrosted as frequently as necessary to maintain refrigeration efficiently specified. (2) Equipped with a thermometer indicating a representative air temperature.…

§ 37.203. Walk-in freezers. When storage facilities of walk-in freezer type are used the following requirements shall apply: (1) Frozen food in storage shall be on dunnage, pallets, racks or skids, and shall be stored so as to permit free circulation of refrigerated air. (2) The …

§ 37.204. Frozen food display cases. Frozen food display cases shall be designed, constructed and equipped with mechanical refrigeration facilities capable of maintaining an air temperature of 0°F or lower.

§ 37.205. Defrosting. Frost on refrigerator coils and in air passages of display cases shall be re- moved as frequently as necessary to maintain refrigeration efficiency of 0°F or below.

§ 37.206. Display cases. Each display case shall be equipped with a thermometer, the sensing element of which shall be located in an appropriate place within the path of refrigerated air being returned to the coils.

§ 37.207. Product load line. The product load line shall be designated by a distinctive line at inside terminal ends of each display case, and such lines shall be at the highest point of discharge and return of refrigerated air.

§ 37.208. Separators in display cases. Separators in display cases shall be located a minimum of one-half inch from terminal ends to provide for free circulation of refrigerated air between the terminal ends and the displayed product.

§ 37.209. Air currents; heat elements. Display cases in retail outlets shall be so placed as to be relatively free of all of the following: (1) Air current resulting from door drafts, electric fans, and other factors that adversely deflect the current of refrigerated air within t…

HANDLING PRACTICES § 37.211. Acceptance of products. Frozen food shall not be accepted for delivery by a retail outlet when the internal product temperature exceeds 0°F, except as provided in § § 37.2 and 37.3 (relating to air temperature; and internal product temperature). When …

§ 37.212. Receipt of frozen foods. (a) All frozen food received at a retail outlet shall be placed in storage facilities without undue delay. (b) Retail outlets shall employ the first-in, first-out basis of inventory.