Section 785.405  Buildings

The building or buildings shall be of sound construction and shall be kept in good repair to prevent the entrance or harboring of rodents, birds, insects, vermin, dogs, and cats.  All service pipe openings through outside walls shall be sealed around the opening or provided with tight metal collars.

a)         Outside Doors, Windows, Openings:  All openings to the outer air including doors, windows, skylights, and transoms shall be protected or screened against the entrance of flies and other insects, rodents, birds, dust, and dirt.  All outside doors opening into processing rooms shall be in good condition and fit properly.  All hinged, outside screen doors shall open outward.  All doors and windows shall be kept clean and in good repair.  Outside conveyor openings and other special-type outside openings shall be effectively protected to prevent the entrance of flies and rodents, by the use of doors, screens, flaps, fans, or tunnels.  Outside openings for sanitary pipelines shall be covered when not in use.  On new construction, window sills shall be slanted downward at a 45º angle.

b)         Walls, Ceilings, Partitions, and Posts:  The walls, ceilings, partitions, and posts of rooms in which milk or dairy products are processed, manufactured, handled, packaged, or stored (except dry storage of packaged finished products and supplies) or in which utensils are washed and stored, shall be smooth with material that is light colored, resistant to moisture, and easy to keep clean.

c)         Floors

1)         The floors of all rooms in which milk or dairy products are processed, manufactured, packaged, or stored or in which utensils are washed shall be constructed of tile laid with impervious joint material, concrete, or other equally impervious material.  The floors shall be smooth, kept in good repair, graded so that there will be no pools of standing water or milk products after flushing, and all openings to the drains shall be equipped with traps properly constructed and kept in good repair.  On new construction bell-type traps shall not be used (Ill. Plumbing Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 890).

2)         Sound, smooth wood floors which can be kept clean, may be used in rooms where new containers and supplies and packaged finished products are stored.

d)         Lighting and Ventilation

1)         Light shall be ample, natural or artificial, or both, of good quality and well distributed.  All rooms in which dairy products are manufactured or packaged or where utensils are washed shall have at least 30 foot-candles of light intensity on all working surfaces and at least 50 foot-candles of light intensity in areas where dairy products are graded or examined for condition and quality.  In all other rooms there shall be provided at least 5 foot-candles of light intensity when measured at a distance of 30 inches from the floor.  Where contamination of product by broken glass is possible, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, fixtures, skylight, or other glass suspended over the product shall be protected against breakage.

2)         There shall be adequate heating, ventilation, or air conditioning for all rooms and compartments to permit maintenance of sanitary conditions. Exhaust or inlet fans, vents, hoods, or temperature and humidity control facilities shall be provided where and when needed, to minimize or eliminate uncomfortable room temperatures, odors, moisture condensation, or mold.  Inlet fans should be provided with an adequate air filtering device to eliminate dirt and dust from the incoming air.  Ventilation systems shall be cleaned periodically as needed and maintained in good repair. Exhaust outlets shall be screened or provided with self-closing louvers to prevent the entrance of insects when not in use.

e)         Rooms and Compartments:  Rooms and compartments in which any raw material, packaging, ingredient supplies, or dairy products are handled, manufactured, packaged, or stored shall be so designed, constructed, and maintained as to assure comfortable room temperatures and clean and orderly operating conditions free from odors and vapors.  Enclosed bulk milk receiving rooms when present shall be separated from the processing rooms by a partition.  Processing rooms shall be kept free from equipment and materials not regularly used.

1)         Coolers and Freezers:  Coolers and freezers where dairy products are stored shall be clean, dry and maintained at a uniform temperature and humidity to protect the product from deterioration, and minimize the growth of mold.  Circulation of air shall maintain uniform temperature and humidity at all times.  They shall be free from rodents, insects, and pests.  Shelves shall be kept clean and dry.  Refrigeration units shall have provisions for collecting and disposing of condensate.

2)         Supply Room:  The supply rooms used for the storing of packaging materials, containers, and miscellaneous ingredients shall be kept clean, dry, orderly, free from insects, rodents, and mold and maintained in good repair.  Such items stored therein shall be adequately protected from dust, dirt, or other extraneous matter and so arranged on racks, shelves, or pallets to permit access to the supplies and cleaning and inspection of the room.  Insecticides, rodenticides and cleaning compounds shall be properly labeled (Ill. Pesticide Act of 1979 – Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 5, par. 801 et seq. and 8 Ill. Adm. Code 250) and segregated, and stored in a separate room or cabinet away from milk, dairy products, ingredients, or packaging supplies.

3)         Boiler and Tool Rooms:  The boiler and tool rooms shall be separated from other rooms where milk and dairy products are processed, manufactured, packaged, handled, or stored.  Such rooms shall be kept orderly and reasonably free from dust and dirt.

4)         Toilet and Dressing Rooms:  Toilet and dressing room facilities shall be conveniently located (Ill. Plumbing Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 890).

A)        Toilet rooms shall not open directly into any room in which milk or dairy products are processed, manufactured, packaged, or stored; floors shall be self-closing; ventilation shall be provided by mechanical means or screened openings to the outer air; fixtures shall be kept clean and in good repair.

B)        All employees shall be furnished with a locker or other facilities and the lockers and dressing rooms shall be kept clean and orderly. Hand-washing facilities shall be provided and durable, legible signs shall be posted conspicuously in each toilet or dressing room directing employees to wash their hands before returning to work.

5)         Laboratory:  Consistent with the size and type of plant and the volume of dairy products manufactured, an adequately equipped laboratory shall be maintained and properly staffed with qualified and trained personnel for quality control and analytical testing.  A central laboratory serving more than one plant may be acceptable if conveniently located to the dairy plants and if samples and results can be transmitted without delay (I.D.P.H. Division of Laboratories Manual of Services).

6)         Starter Facilities:  Sanitary facilities shall be provided for the handling of starter cultures.