Dairy Products Regulations

11.1 (1) Every operator shall operate and maintain the establishment in accordance with this section.

(2) The building, equipment, utensils and all other physical facilities of a registered establishment shall be maintained in a sanitary condition.

(3) Every registered establishment shall be operated in accordance with the outline of the sanitation program referred to in paragraph 10(2)(b).

(4) Operations in relation to the preparation of a dairy product in a registered establishment shall be carried out under stringent sanitary control.

(5) Notices shall be posted in prominent places in a registered establishment

• (a) instructing employees engaged in the preparation of any dairy product to clean their hands immediately after using toilet facilities;

• (b) indicating that smoking is prohibited; and

• (c) prohibiting food, other than that used in the preparation of a dairy product, and drink in food preparation areas.

(6) In a registered establishment, no material or coating shall be used to repair the floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows and other parts of any room or area in which dairy products are prepared unless the material or coating is durable and free from any noxious constituent.

(7) Refuse shall be removed at least once daily from within a registered establishment.

(8) In a registered establishment, the minimum illumination at the working area, when measured at a distance of 75 cm from the floor, shall be

• (a) in the case of processing and equipment cleaning areas, 330 1x; and

• (b) in the case of rooms used for grading or inspection purposes, 550 1x.

(9) All lavatories, sinks and drains in a registered establishment shall be maintained in a manner that prevents any odours or fumes therefrom from pervading any room in which dairy products are prepared.

(10) The operator shall maintain an effective and safe rodent and insect control program and shall exclude any animal from the establishment.

(11) Any detergent, sanitizer or other chemical agent in a registered establishment shall be properly labelled and shall be stored and used in a manner that prevents the contamination of dairy products or a dairy product contact surface.

(12) Container cleaning equipment in a registered establishment shall be operated in a manner that ensures that containers used for dairy products, when cleaned, are free from foreign material.

(13) A room used for grading a dairy product shall be kept clean and tidy and shall be free from noise and odours that might interfere with the accurate assessment of quality.

(14) Where steam is used in the preparation of dairy products in a registered establishment, the steam shall be generated from potable water and contain no harmful substances, and the supply of steam shall be adequate in quantity and pressure to serve the total needs of the establishment.

(15) No dairy product or food intended for use as an ingredient in a dairy product in a registered establishment shall be maintained at a temperature and humidity that may cause that dairy product or food to deteriorate or become inedible.

(16) No dairy product or other substance used in the preparation of a dairy product in a registered establishment shall be exposed to a source of contamination.

(17) No dairy product shall come into contact with anything in a registered establishment that might adversely affect the quality, colour or appearance of the dairy product.

(18) No person in a registered establishment shall use, in the preparation of a dairy product for which grades or standards are established by these Regulations,

• (a) any domestic dairy product, other than milk or cream, from any establishment that is not a registered establishment; or

• (b) any milk or cream that does not meet the quality standards established for milk and cream by the appropriate provincial or federal authority.

(19) No person in a registered establishment shall pack a dairy product that is not intended for human consumption or is inedible unless the container is prominently marked with a statement to that effect.

(20) No operator of a registered establishment, unless authorized by the Director, shall permit any person who will be engaged in the preparation of an exposed dairy product

• (a) to begin employment in the establishment until that person produces a physician’s certificate stating that there is no medical impediment to that person’s employment in the establishment; and

• (b) to continue employment in the establishment unless the person produces any other medical certificate required by the Director.

(21) No person who suffers from or is a known carrier of a communicable disease or who has an infected lesion that is open or exposed shall work in any area of a registered establishment where there is a danger of contaminating a dairy product, an ingredient or a food contact surface with pathogenic micro-organisms.

(22) Every person engaged in the preparation of a dairy product in a registered establishment shall clean their hands thoroughly immediately after using toilet facilities and as frequently as is necessary to prevent the contamination of a dairy product.

(23) Every person engaged in directly handling a dairy product in a registered establishment shall clean their hands thoroughly in a sanitizing solution each time they enter the processing room.

(24) Every person engaged in the preparation of a dairy product in a registered establishment shall wear

• (a) sanitary clothing and a complete hair covering;

• (b) where gloves are used in the handling of a dairy product, only gloves that are made of an impermeable material and are maintained in a sound, clean and sanitary condition; and

• (c) outer clothing that is free from pockets and buttons above the waist, and footwear, neither of which is worn outside the establishment.

(25) No person shall use tobacco in any form, chew gum or consume food of any kind, except water dispensed from a drinking fountain, in any part of a registered establishment where dairy products are prepared.

(26) No person engaged in the preparation of a dairy product in a registered establishment shall wear an object or use a substance that may fall into or otherwise contaminate the dairy product.

(27) Where a laboratory forms part of a registered establishment, the laboratory shall be operated so that it does not lead to the contamination of a dairy product.

(28) [Repealed, SOR/95-548, s. 2]

(29) The operator shall notify the Director of any proposed major modification to a registered establishment and, where requested by the Director, submit detailed plans and specifications of the modification.