Sec. 170.
A person that manufactures or processes cheese shall do all of the following:
(a) Equip and maintain starter rooms or areas for the propagation and handling of starter cultures.
(b) Prevent contamination of starter cultures, starter rooms and equipment, and the air within each starter room.
(c) Ensure that the room in which cheese is manufactured is of adequate size with both of the following:
(i) Vats adequately spaced to permit movement around each vat.
(ii) Presses that are designed for proper cleaning and satisfactory working conditions.
(d) If cheese is to be coated or saturated with paraffin, provide a drying room of adequate size to accommodate the maximum amount of cheese that the plant can produce at its peak of operation and ensure that the drying room has adequate shelving and air circulation for proper drying and suitable temperature and humidity controls.
(e) For production of rind cheese, provide a separate room or compartment for paraffining and boxing the cheese and ensure that the room or compartment is of adequate size and the temperature maintained near the temperature of the drying room to avoid sweating of the cheese prior to paraffining.
(f) For rindless blocks, provide a suitable space for wrapping and boxing of the cheese and ensure that the area is free from dust, condensation, mold, or other conditions that may contaminate the surface of the cheese or contribute to an unsatisfactory packaging of the cheese.
(g) Maintain clean coolers or curing rooms where cheese is held for curing or storage and ensure each of the following:
(i) That the proper uniform temperature and humidity are kept to adequately protect the cheese.
(ii) That proper circulation of air is maintained at all times.
(iii) That the coolers or rooms are free from rodents, insects, and pests.
(iv) That shelves are kept clean and dry.
(h) If small packages of cheese are cut and wrapped, provide a separate room for the cleaning and preparation of the bulk cheese, a separate room for the cutting and wrapping operation and ensure that the rooms are well lighted, ventilated, provided with filtered air, and engineered to move air outward.
(i) If bulk starter vats are used, ensure that each is constructed of stainless steel or an equally corrosion resistant material, is in good repair, equipped with a tight-fitting lid, and contains adequate controls such as valves, indicating thermometers, and recording thermometers that meet the requirements for vat pasteurization unless pasteurization of the starter culture is completed prior to entry into the bulk starter vat.
(j) Ensure that each new bulk starter vat that is used is constructed according to standards established or approved by the department.
(k) Ensure that each vat used for making cheese is of metal construction and meets each of the following requirements:
(i) The vat has adequate jacket capacity for uniform heating.
(ii) The inner liner of the vat is a minimum 16-gauge stainless steel or other equally corrosion resistant material, properly pitched from side to center and from rear to front for adequate drainage.
(iii) The liner of the vat is smooth, free from excessive dents or creases, and extends over the edge of the outer jacket.
(iv) The outer jacket of the vat, if metal, is constructed of stainless steel or other material that can be kept clean and sanitary.
(v) The junction of the liner and outer jacket of the vat is constructed to prevent milk or cheese from entering the inner jacket.
(vi) The vat is equipped with a suitable sanitary outlet valve.
(vii) Each vat is equipped with effective valves that are properly maintained to control the application of heat to the vat.
(l) Ensure that mechanical agitators are of sanitary construction and contain each of the following:
(i) A carriage and track constructed to prevent the dropping of dirt or grease into the vat.
(ii) Metal blades, forks, or stirrers constructed of stainless steel or of material approved by the department and free from rough or sharp edges or any surface that may scratch the equipment or remove metal particles.
(m) Ensure that curd mill knives, hand rakes, shovels, paddles, strainers, and miscellaneous equipment are stainless steel or constructed of a material approved by the department.
(n) Ensure that the product contact surfaces of a curd mill, including the wires in curd knives, are stainless steel and that each piece of equipment is constructed so that it may be kept clean.
(o) Ensure that curd knives are kept tight and replaced when necessary.
(p) Ensure that each hoop, form, and follower is constructed of stainless steel or heavy tinned steel, and that a tinned hoop, form, or follower is kept tinned and free from rust.
(q) Ensure that each hoop, form, and follower is kept in good repair and that drums or other special forms used to press and store cheese are clean and sanitary.
(r) Ensure that each cheese press is constructed of stainless steel with all of the following:
(i) All joints welded and all surfaces, seams, and openings readily cleanable.
(ii) A continuous pressure device.
(iii) Press cloths maintained in good repair and in a sanitary condition.
(s) Ensure that single-service cheese press cloths are used only once.
(t) Ensure that the press used to heat seal the wrapper applied to rindless cheese shall have square interior corners and reasonably smooth interior surface and have controls that shall provide uniform pressure and heat equally to all surfaces.
(u) Ensure that each paraffin metal tank is adequate in size, has wood rather than metal racks to support cheese, and has heat controls and an indicating thermometer.
(v) Ensure that paraffin tank cheese wax is kept clean.
History: 2001, Act 267, Eff. Feb. 8, 2002