Section 132. Prerequisite programs

Article 2. Implementation of a HACCP System

A. Each person operating a milk plant, receiving station, or transfer station and participating in the voluntary HACCP program shall:

1. Provide complete, up-to-date process flow diagrams for all grade A milk, milk products, condensed milk, condensed milk products, dry milk, or dry milk products prior to developing the HACCP plan;

2. Provide a brief written description or checklist for each prerequisite program that can be audited against to ensure compliance. Each prerequisite program shall include procedures that can be monitored, records that specify what is monitored, and how often it will be monitored;

3. Develop and implement prerequisite programs that address conditions and practices before, during, and after processing;

4. Develop and implement prerequisite programs that address:

a. Safety of the water that comes into contact with milk, milk products, condensed milk, condensed milk products, dry milk, dry milk products, or product-contact surfaces, including steam and ice;

b. Condition and cleanliness of equipment product-contact surfaces;

c. Prevention of cross-contamination from unsanitary objects or practices to milk, milk products, condensed milk, condensed milk products, dry milk, dry milk products, or product-contact surfaces, packaging material, and other food-contact surfaces, including utensils, gloves, outer garments, etc., and from raw product to processed product;

d. Maintenance of hand washing, hand sanitizing, and toilet facilities;

e. Protection of milk, milk products, condensed milk, condensed milk products, dry milk, dry milk products, packaging material, and product-contact surfaces from adulteration with lubricants, fuel, pesticides, cleaning compounds, sanitizing agents, condensate, and other chemical, physical, and biological contaminates;

f. Proper labeling, storage, and use of toxic compounds;

g. Control of employee health conditions, including employee exposure to high risk situations, that could result in the microbiological contamination of milk, milk products, condensed milk, condensed milk products, dry milk, dry milk products, packaging materials, and product-contact surfaces; and

h. Pest exclusion from the milk plant, receiving station, or transfer station;

5. In addition to the required prerequisite programs specified in this section, any other prerequisite programs that are being relied upon in the hazard analysis to reduce the likelihood of hazards such that they are not reasonably likely to occur shall also be monitored, audited, and documented as required prerequisite programs; and

6. Comply with the requirements of Appendix K of the "Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, 2013 Revision."

B. Each person operating a milk plant, receiving station, or transfer station and participating in the voluntary HACCP program shall:

1. Monitor the conditions and practices of all required prerequisite programs with sufficient frequency to ensure conformance with those conditions and that are appropriate both to the milk plant, receiving station, or transfer station and to the safety of the milk, milk products, condensed milk, condensed milk products, dry milk, or dry milk products being processed;

2. Document the correction of those conditions and practices that are not in conformance with all prerequisite programs;

3. Determine the frequency of calibration for indicating thermometers, recording thermometers, and other devices used to monitor prerequisite programs and ensure that they are properly calibrated to assure accuracy at the determined frequency; and

4. Maintain records that document the monitoring and corrections required by their prerequisite programs for review by the State Regulatory Authority.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 23, Issue 20, eff. May 23, 2007; amended, Virginia Register Volume 31, Issue 12, eff. January 21, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§ 3.2-5206 of the Code of Virginia.