Bathrooms in Home Processor Facilities

If only members of the immediate family work in the processing operation, the home bathroom satisfies the requirements as long as it is adequate (e.g., flush toilet, sink with hot and cold running water, proper plumbing, tight self-closing door, soap, single service towels etc.). When a processor hires persons outside the immediate family, a separate bathroom for the food processing facility is required.

Handwash Sinks

Food handlers in a food processing establishment must have access to one or more hand washing facilities with hot, cold, or tempered running water and equipped with soap and single service towels and handwash signs; In order to meet this requirement, this means:

• There is at least one hand wash facility located in the food processing area in a location convenient to each food handling area when hands come into contact with or manipulate unwrapped or unpackaged ready to eat food. (Hand sanitizing stations may be required if appropriate); or

• Hand wash facilities are located in rest rooms or other areas in operations where food is not manipulated by hand and hands do not contact the food; or

• Hand wash facilities are located in rest rooms or other areas and hand sanitizing stations are located in food processing areas in operations where food would normally undergo further preparation (for example washing, cleaning, cooking or other processing) either in the plant or by the consumer that would adequately eliminate physical, chemical and microbiological contaminants introduced by handling.

• Hand dip sanitizing stations are not a substitute for hand-washing stations.

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