Winery & Brewery Sanitation Information
Frequently Asked
Questions about Winery
and Brewery Processing
1.
Do I need a
license from the Department of Agriculture to open my business?
If you wish to produce only alcohol
containing beverages, licensing for your facility is through the
Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLB). If you wish to make a
soft drink type product in addition to the alcohol beverages, then a
food processor license from the Department of Agriculture would be
required for that product.
It is a condition of the
license that you receive from WSLCB for the alcohol containing
products that you maintain the sanitation standards of the
Agriculture Department (WSDA). Because of this, it is best to
consult WSDA standards when considering new construction or
remodeling of your facility.
2. What is a properly
constructed facility?
Insect and rodent proof construction materials such as concrete,
brick, tile, and metal are best for basic construction. These
materials require less maintenance than wood which can be attacked
by molds and insects and create a harborage for rodents. When wood
or masonry is used it must be sealed or painted to be impervious to
moisture and easily cleanable.
Floors should be dense,
impervious, readily cleanable, and suited to the proposed use and
loading requirements. Floor cracks due to heavy loads have been
identified as a sanitation concern. Preferred flooring materials are
acid resistant concrete, epoxies, or materials of similar
composition. Floors must slope with sufficient pitch to the drains
to provide easy and rapid draining. There should be enough drains to
easily carry off liquid from any point in the room. Rounded gutters
are preferable to right angle corners but in any case, gutters must
provide free drainage. Gutters which are in traffic areas or where
they present a hazard should have perforated or grid covers of
corrosion resistant material. Drains through outside walls and
floors need to be screened to exclude rodents. If economically
possible, air pressure is an effective tool for insect exclusion in
a facility.
Avoid double or hollow walls and ceilings, or
have each space tightly sealed. Accessible spaces between walls or
ceilings make convenient harborage for insects and rodents. When
insulation is used be careful to completely seal it into the wall or
ceiling. Exposed insulation is a product contamination hazard as
well as a pest attractant. Also avoid unnecessary recesses or ledges
as they trap dirt and debris. Any ledges used should be beveled to
allow dirt and wash water to slide off easily.
Ventilation is important for your facility. There should be good
ventilation throughout to remove condensation and provide fresh air.
Remember to always use adequate screens to exclude pests. Consider
protecting the bottling room from dust and impurities by including a
filtered air system in this area.
Lighting is another
important issue. Covered or shatterproof lights are needed in areas
where product might be exposed or over product additive storage
areas. There are many different ways to accomplish this goal.
Fluorescent lights for example are very popular. Ways to cover them
include; a shield to cover the whole fixture; plastic tube covers
with end caps; pre-coated shatterproof bulbs. All of these methods
are perfectly acceptable. You may need help from a lighting supply
store to determine the best shield for your particular light
fixtures.
When constructing the various components of your facility,
allow enough space for easy operation and look ahead to possible
expansion as much as your budget will permit. The services of a
professional with experience in constructing your type of facility
can be very valuable.
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3.
What are the
requirements for toilet facilities and hand sinks?
If your facility is very small, and adjacent to your home you may
not have to install a separate toilet facility. To qualify for this
exemption your home toilet room would need to be considered
convenient to the facility and it would have to be a family only
operation with no other employees. Proper hand wash basins do need
to be provided in the facility even if your circumstances do not
require a toilet room. You would need to install toilet facilities
if you should add any non-family employees or offer tastings of your
product at your facility. The toilet facility requirement for
tastings is a County Health Department regulation.
When
toilet facilities are required, there should be a sufficient number
of toilet and wash rooms so they can be easily reached from every
part of the facility. Toilet room doors need to fit snugly into the
doorframe with minimal gaps. These toilet room doors also need to be
equipped with a self-closing device. A simple spring or bungee cord
may be used to accomplish the self-closing. . Toilet rooms need to
be kept clean and supplies maintained. Frequency of cleaning depends
on use and will vary with your production schedule.
Besides the toilet room hand basin, other hand wash stations need to
be provided convenient to the operations of your facility. The
number of these stations will vary depending on the size and layout
of your business. Let common sense and an honest assessment of
convenience to various operations be your guide in planning wash
stations. Generally, one per work area or room is sufficient.
Hot or tempered water needs to be plumbed to all the hand wash
basins and hand soap and single service or paper towels need to be
provided. A sign to encourage employees to wash hands is required to
be posted in the toilet room and can be obtained from the Department
of Agriculture.
4.
What are the
requirements for my tasting room?
The requirements for your tasting room come
from your local County Health Department. (Including requirements
for toilet facilities even if you are not required to have one by
our standards as discussed in question #3.) We ask that you refer to
them if you intend to offer tastings of your product to the public.
You can a find phone number for their office in the county section
of your phone book.
5.
How should I
store my equipment and supplies?
To make operations more efficient, decrease the risk of product
contamination, and prevent cluttering of the premises, plenty of
space should be set aside for storage. It is best to keep frequently
used equipment and supplies in a convenient storage space, separated
from equipment used more rarely. Product transfer hoses should be
stored up off the ground in a position to drain. Remove from the
premises unnecessary old equipment that is no longer used. Old
unused equipment often is a clutter and cleaning problem and can
become a common site of facility rodent or insect infestation.
For equipment of potential multiple types of uses, it is often
helpful to color code the equipment. An example might be making a
food contact scoop one color and a waste scoop another color. The
storage of these two pieces would be different as well. The food
contact scoop should be stored up off the floor in a clean and
protected location while the waste scoop could be left out on the
floor where spillage is expected. The materials used for these two
pieces could be different as well. The various brushes used and
other clean up equipment may also benefit from color-coding.
Supplies of edible materials such as sugar, syrups, grains, and
other foodstuffs, need to be in a rodent proof storeroom. Preferably
these materials are kept in an insect and rodent proof container
such as plastic with a tight fitting lid. This is a good storage
scheme for various acid powders used as well as filtering agents. If
kept in original bags be certain to protect contents by rolling the
bags tightly when partially empty to help avoid contamination. Items
stored should be kept up off the ground, perhaps on a rack or pallet
and out from the walls to discourage rodent activity. Promptly clean
up any spills. A hand vacuum can be a handy tool in this area.
Store herbicides, insecticides, chemicals and oils and greases
in a separate location from each other (by type) and any foodstuffs.
These materials don't necessarily need to have their own room but
they need to be physically separated from each other to avoid any
risk of contamination. All detergents, cleaning materials, bearing
greases, boiler additives, etc., need to have labeling or a letter
from the manufacturer stating approval by USDA or FDA as acceptable
for use in a food processing plant.
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6.
Do I have to
use stainless steel tanks or can I use plastic?
It is acceptable to use food grade plastic tanks for production
of beer and wine. The fittings can also be food grade plastic if you
wish. You might find stainless fittings to be more durable.
Whichever material you choose, the use of threaded fittings is
discouraged, as a buildup is known to occur in the threads of the
fittings causing a cleaning problem. If threads are absolutely
necessary, then sanitary square threads are best as they clean much
better.
7.
Do you have
general machinery and equipment guidelines or suggestions?
Good sanitation requires that all machinery and equipment be kept
clean and in good repair. Cleaning requirements change drastically
depending on seasonal uses of equipment. As an example the winery
crush equipment should be cleaned at least daily, and more often if
there are delays in receiving fruit.
The food contact
equipment can be constructed of different types of material
depending on use. For example, food grade plastic shovels are needed
for food contact, while a regular metal shovel can be used for
waste. Again consider using color coding as mentioned earlier as a
means to separate usage of equipment. This is especially effective
for tubs or buckets used in the facility.
The overall
equipment design must protect the product from contamination. An
example would be any tanks used for outside fermentation must be
constructed to protect the product inside from insect entry and damp
or dusty weather. One piece of equipment needed to protect the
contents of the tanks from contamination are plastic or stainless
sanitary caps to put on the outside fittings of the valves when
there is product in the tank. These caps are put in place to keep
the valve bodies clean. These caps can also be helpful to prevent
accidental loss or spillage of the product in the event the valve
gets inadvertently turned open.
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8.
What are the
cleaning requirements for my equipment?
When in daily use, the equipment needs to be thoroughly clean and
sanitized at the start of each day. Winery crush equipment should at
least be thoroughly rinsed at the end of each days use. The
equipment then needs to be cleaned and sanitized prior to resuming
receiving and crushing the fruit. Whenever an unusually long delay
between equipment uses occurs the equipment should be accessed for
cleanliness and cleaned if necessary, prior to using it again.
Wash sinks for the clean out of place equipment items are
required. These sinks should be large enough to handle the biggest
piece of equipment that must be hand cleaned. It is not required
that these sinks be stainless steel they can be plastic. If plastic
is used it must be suitable for the use. Typically the plastic
laundry type basins are acceptable. Multiple sinks are needed to be
able to wash, rinse and sanitize the equipment. These sinks can not
double as hand basins.
Enough of the right kind of
cleaning tools need to be on hand to handle any job that is
necessary at any time, mops, rags, brooms, brushes, hoses, boots,
refuse containers, wheelbarrows or carts and shovels may all be
needed in and around the facility.
9.
What kind of
insect and rodent control can I use for my facility?
It is important to maintain the surroundings of your facility in
a manner that does not inadvertently attract pests. Keep all
vegetation out from the walls of your buildings at least three feet.
This provides a clear area the pests are less willing to cross to
enter your plant.
Any type of rodent trap can be used
inside the facility. Poison baits are not allowed inside but are
acceptable for use around the parameter of the property. Any traps
used need to be checked regularly for activity.
Insects
are often a problem for wineries and breweries, especially fruit
flies. Insecticides can be effectively used in the facility provided
all label directives are closely followed. It is very important to
be sure all product, additives, and materials like filtering aids
are protected from contamination and any equipment that might get
sprayed is thoroughly cleaned before use.
Pests have
been known to enter the premises with shipments of glass or other
materials. Routine monitoring of the premises needs to be made
regularly for signs of rodent pellets or other types of pest
activity such as insect infestation. The consultation of a pest
control professional can be very helpful should any infestation be
discovered.
10.
What sort of
labeling is required for my finished product?
The Washington State Liquor Control Board and the Federal Bureau
of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms are the regulatory authorities for
the labeling of alcoholic beverages. You will need to contact your
WSLCB representative for labeling requirements.
WSDA is
the proper place to seek general labeling requirements should you
decide to make a root beer or other soft drink. As mentioned earlier
a WSDA Food Processors License would be required for these products.
If you are interested is producing soft drinks a food processors
information packet is available which answers typical questions
about the requirements for this license.
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