La. Admin. Code tit. 51 § VII-523

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section VII-523 - Milk House or Room

A. There shall be provided a milk house or milk room of sufficient size for the cooling, handling, storing of milk and the washing, sanitizing and storing of milk containers and utensils. The milk house or milk room shall conform to the following requirements.

1. It shall be provided with a tight floor constructed of concrete or other impervious easily cleanable material, in good repair, graded to drain through trapped floor drains.

2. It shall have walls and ceilings of such construction as to permit easy cleaning and shall be painted or finished in an manner approved by the state health officer.

3. The milk house shall be provided with a minimum of 20-foot candles of well distributed light.

4. It shall be provided with windows and solid doors. All outside openings shall be effectively protected against entry of insects, dust and airborne contamination. All outside doors shall be self-closing and open outward.

5. It shall be used for no other purpose than those specified above, except as may be approved by the state health officer.

6. It shall not open directly into a stable or into any room used for domestic purposes.

7. The water supply for the milk room and milking operations shall be from a supply easily accessible, constructed and operated according to Part XII of this Code.

8. It shall have water piped into it and protected against normal freezing conditions.

9. It shall be provided with hot and cold running water under pressure. Water volume and temperature shall be adequate for the cleaning of utensils and operation of automated cleaning systems.

10. It shall be equipped with two-compartment stationary wash and rinse vats, large enough to submerge the largest piece of equipment or container.

11. A conveniently located hand washing facility with hot and cold running water under pressure, soap, air dryer or single service towel shall be provided.

12. The floors, walls, ceilings, windows, tables, shelves, cabinets and any equipment located in the milk house shall be clean. Only articles directly related to milk house activities shall be permitted in the milk house. The milk house shall be free of trash, animals and fowl.

13. Incidental articles may be kept in the milk house provided they are kept clean and ample space is available to conduct normal operations in the milk house and they will not contaminate milk.

14. The milk house shall be adequately ventilated to minimize condensation on floors, walls, ceilings and cleaned utensils.

15. Vents and artificial lighting fixtures shall be installed in a manner to preclude the contamination of bulk milk tank interiors or clean utensil storage areas. They shall not be located over bulk milk tank openings.

16. The state health officer may allow the use of a milk tank truck that is constructed, equipped, located and operated in a manner approved by the state health officer for the storage of raw milk.

17. Milk houses or rooms at dairy farms where the raw milk is transferred from the farm bulk milk tank to milk tank trucks for shipment shall be provided with a hose port in the exterior wall through which the hose used to transfer milk from the bulk tank to the milk tank truck shall be placed during the transfer. The port shall be fitted with a tight fitting door that shall be in good repair and kept closed except when the port is in use. A concrete or equally impervious slab shall be provided under the hose port, sufficiently large to protect the hose from contamination during the transfer of milk. A water hose shall be conveniently located to allow the rinsing of the slab. The area around the slab shall be clean and free of insect harborage or attractants.

18. Milk houses or rooms in which raw milk is shipped in milk cans shall be equipped with mechanical cooling devices, constructed in a manner that meets the 3-A standards or requirements of the PMO, that cool the milk to 7 ° C (45 ° F) or less within four hours or less after each can is filled and maintained at that temperature or less until shipped.

La. Admin. Code tit. 51, § VII-523

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health, LR 37:2662 (September 2011).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 40:4(A)(1)(a). Also see R.S. 40:5(2)(3)(5)(7)(15)(17) and R.S. 40:922.