37.110.215 EQUIPMENT AND UTENSIL CLEANING AND SANITATION

(1) Tableware must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use.

(2) To prevent cross contamination, kitchenware and food contact surfaces of equipment must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following any interruption of operations during which time contamination may have occurred.

(3) Where equipment and utensils are used for the preparation of potentially hazardous foods on a continuous or production-line basis, utensils and the food contact surfaces of equipment must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized at intervals throughout the day on a schedule based on food temperature, type of food, and amount of food particle accumulation.

(4) The food contact surfaces of grills, griddles, and similar cooking devices and the cavities and door seals of microwave ovens must be cleaned at least once a day. This requirement does not apply to hot oil cooking equipment and hot oil filtering systems. The food contact surfaces of all cooking equipment must be kept free of encrusted grease deposits and other accumulated soil.

(5) Non-food contact surfaces of equipment must be cleaned as often as is necessary to keep the equipment free of accumulation of dust, dirt, food particles, and other debris.

(6) Cloths used for wiping food spills on tableware, such as plates or bowls being served to the consumer, must be clean, dry and used for no other purpose.

(7) Moist cloths used for wiping food spills on food contact and nonfood contact surfaces of equipment must be laundered as required, stored in a chemical sanitizer and maintain sanitizing strength at the point of use.

(8) Dry or moist cloths that are used with raw animal foods must be kept separate from cloths used for other purposes, and the moist cloths used with raw animal foods must be kept in a separate sanitizing solution.

(9) Sponges may not be used in contact with cleaned and sanitized or in-use food contact surfaces.

(10) For manual washing, rinsing and sanitizing of utensils and equipment, a sink with not fewer than three compartments shall be provided and used. Sink compartments must be large enough to permit the accommodation of the equipment and utensils, and each compartment of the sink must be supplied with hot and cold potable running water. Fixed equipment and utensils and equipment too large to be cleaned in sink compartments must be washed manually or cleaned through pressure spray methods.

(11) Drainboards or easily movable dish tables of adequate size must be provided for proper handling of soiled utensils prior to washing and for cleaned utensils following sanitizing and must be located so as not to interfere with the proper use of the dishwashing facilities.

(12) Equipment and utensils must be preflushed or pre-scraped and, when necessary, presoaked to remove food particles and soil.

(13) Except for fixed equipment and utensils too large to be cleaned in sink compartments, manual washing, rinsing, and sanitizing must be conducted in the following manner:

(a) Sinks must be cleaned prior to use;

(b) Equipment and utensils must be thoroughly washed in the first compartment with a hot detergent solution that is kept clean;

(d) Equipment and utensils must be sanitized in the third compartment according to one of the methods included in (14) (a) through (g) of this rule.

(14) The food contact surfaces of all equipment and utensils must be sanitized by:

(a) immersion for at least 30 seconds in clean, hot water at a temperature of at least 170 º F (77 º C) ;

(b) immersion for at least 30 seconds in a clean solution containing at least 100 parts per million but not more than 200 parts per million of available chlorine as a hypochlorite and at a temperature of at least 75 º F (24 º C) ;

(c) immersion for at least 30 seconds in a clean solution containing at least 12.5 parts per million but not more than 25 parts per million of available iodine and having a pH not higher than 5.0 and at a temperature of at least 75 º F (24 º C) ;

(d) immersion for at least 30 seconds in a clean solution containing no more than 200 parts per million of quaternary ammonium compound used by following manufacturer's instructions;

(e) immersion in a clean solution containing any other chemical sanitizing agent approved by the EPA that will provide the equivalent bactericidal effect of a solution containing at least 50 parts per million of available chlorine as a hypochlorite at a temperature of at least 75 º F (24 º C) for 30 seconds;

(f) treatment with steam free from unsafe materials or additives in the case of equipment too large to sanitize by immersion, but in which steam can be confined and raises the surface temperature to 160 º F (72 º C) or above; or

(g) rinsing, spraying, or swabbing with a chemical sanitizing solution of at least twice the strength required for that particular sanitizing solution under (14) (a) through (e) of this rule in the case of equipment too large to sanitize by immersion.

(15) When hot water is used for sanitizing, the following facilities must be provided and used:

(a) an integral heating device or fixture installed in, on, or under the sanitizing compartment of the sink capable of maintaining the water at a temperature of at least 170 º F (77 º C) ;

(b) a numerically scaled indicating temperature measuring device, accurate to " 3 º F (1.5 º C) , convenient to the sink for frequent checks of water temperature; and

(c) dish baskets of such size and design to permit complete immersion of the tableware, kitchenware, and equipment in the hot water.

(16) When chemicals are used for sanitization, they must not have concentrations higher than the maximum permitted in (14) , and a test kit or other device that accurately measures the parts per million concentration of the solution must be used.

(17) Cleaning and sanitizing may be done by spray-type or immersion dishwashing machines or by any other type of machine or device if it is demonstrated that it thoroughly cleans and sanitizes equipment and utensils. These machines and devices must be properly installed and maintained in good repair. Machines and devices must be operated in accordance with manufacturers' instructions, and utensils and equipment placed in the machine must be exposed to all dishwashing cycles. Automatic detergent dispensers, wetting agent dispensers, and liquid sanitizer injectors, if any, must be properly installed and maintained.

(18) The pressure of final rinse water supplied to spray-type dishwashing machines must not be less than 15 nor more than 25 pounds per square inch measured in the water line immediately adjacent to the final rinse control valve. A 1/4 inch IPS valve must be provided immediately upstream from the final rinse control valve to permit checking the flow pressure of the final rinse water.

(19) Machine or water line mounted numerically scaled indicating temperature measuring devices, accurate to " 3 º F (1.5 º C) , must be provided to indicate the temperature of the water in each tank of the machine and the temperature of the final rinse water as it enters the manifold.

(20) Rinse water tanks must be protected by baffles, curtains, or other effective means to minimize the entry of wash water into the rinse water. Conveyors in dishwashing machines must be accurately timed to assure proper exposure times in wash and rinse cycles in accordance with manufacturers' specifications attached to the machines.

(21) Drainboards must be provided and be of adequate size for the proper handling of soiled utensils prior to washing and of cleaned utensils following sanitization and must be so located and constructed so as not to interfere with the proper use of the dishwashing facilities. This does not preclude the use of easily movable dish tables for the storage of soiled utensils or the use of easily movable dish tables for the storage of clean utensils following sanitization.

(22) Equipment and utensils must be flushed or scraped and, when necessary, soaked to remove gross food particles and soil prior to being washed in a dishwashing machine unless a prewash cycle is a part of the dishwashing machine operation. Equipment and utensils must be placed in racks, trays, or baskets, or on conveyors, in a way that food contact surfaces are exposed to the unobstructed application of detergent wash and clean rinse waters and that permits free draining.

(23) Machines (single-tank, stationary-rack, door-type machines and spray-type glass washers) using chemicals for sanitization may be used, provided:

(a) The temperature of the wash water may not be less than 120 º F (49 º C) ;

(b) The wash water must be kept clean.

(d) Utensils and equipment must be exposed to the final chemical sanitizing rinse in accordance with manufacturers' specifications for time and concentration;

(e) The chemical sanitizing rinse water temperature may not be less than 75 º F (24 º C) or less than the temperature specified by the machine's manufacturer;

(f) Chemical sanitizers used must be approved by the EPA;

(g) A test kit or other device that accurately measures the parts per million concentration of the solution must be available and used.

(24) Machines using hot water for sanitizing may be used provided that wash water and pumped rinse water must be kept clean and water must be maintained at not less than the temperature stated below:

(a) Single-tank, stationary-rack, dual-temperature machine:

Wash temperature 150 º F (66 º C)

Final rinse temperature 180 º F (83 º C)

(b) Single-tank, stationary-rack, single-temperature machine:

Wash temperature 165 º F (74 º C)

Final rinse temperature 165 º F (74 º C)

Wash temperature 160 º F (72 º C)

Final rinse temperature 180 º F (83 º C)

(d) Multi-tank, conveyor machine:

Wash temperature 150 º F (66 º C)

Pumped rinse temperature 160 º F (72 º C)

Final rinse temperature 180 º F (83 º C)

(e) Single-tank, pot, pan, and utensil washer (either stationary or moving rack) :

Wash temperature 140 º F (60 º C)

Final rinse temperature 180 º F (83 º C)

(25) Machines using hot water for sanitizing must achieve a utensil surface temperature of 160 º F (71 º C) as measured by an irreversible registering temperature indicator.

(26) All dishwashing machines must be thoroughly cleaned at least once a day or more often when necessary to maintain them in a satisfactory operating condition.

(27) After sanitization, all equipment and utensils must be air dried.

(28) Food service establishments using a dishwashing machine shall provide a manual dish washing facility described in ARM 37.110.215(10) or provide a plan acceptable to the regulatory authority to adequately clean, rinse and sanitize utensils, in case the dishwashing machine is not functional.

History: Sec. 50-50-103, MCA; IMP, Sec. 50-50-103, MCA; NEW, 1979 MAR p. 677, Eff. 7/13/79; TRANS & AMD, 2000 MAR p. 3201, Eff. 11/23/00.