3717-1-03.4(K)(2) Food: limitation of growth of organisms of public health concern

Except as specified under paragraph (K)(7) of this rule, a food service operation or retail food establishment that packages time/temperature controlled for safety food using a reduced oxygen packaging method is obligated to have a HACCP plan that contains the information specified under paragraph (L) of this rule and that:

(a)

Identifies the food to be packaged;

(b)

Except as specified under paragraphs (K)(3) to (K)(7) of this rule, ensures the packaged food is to be maintained at forty-one degrees Fahrenheit (five degrees Celsius) or less and meet at least one of the following criteria:

(i)

Has an aw of 0.91 or less;

(ii)

Has a pH of 4.6 or less;

(iii)

Is a meat or poultry product cured at a food processing plant regulated by the Ohio department of agriculture under Chapter 918. of the Revised Code or USDA using substances specified in 9 C.F.R. 424.21, and is received in an intact package; or

(iv)

Is a food with a high level of competing organisms such as raw meat, raw poultry, or raw vegetables.

(c)

Describes how the package will be prominently and conspicuously labeled on the principal display panel in bold type on a contrasting background, with instructions to:

(i)

Maintain the food at forty-one degrees Fahrenheit (five degrees Celsius) or below; and

(ii)

Discard the food if within thirty calendar days of its packaging it is not served for on-premises consumption, or consumed if served or sold for off-premises consumption.

(d)

Limits the refrigerated shelf life to no more than thirty calendar days from packaging to consumption, except the time the product is maintained frozen, or the original manufacturer's "sell by" or "use by" date, whichever occurs first;

(e)

Includes operational procedures that:

(i)

Prevent contacting ready-to-eat food with bare hands as specified under paragraph (A)(2) of rule 3717-1-03.2 of the Administrative Code;

(ii)

Identify a designated work area and the method by which:

(a)

Physical barriers or methods of separation of raw foods and ready-to-eat foods minimize cross contamination; and

(b)

Access to the processing equipment is limited to responsible trained personnel familiar with the potential hazards of the operation; and

(iii)

Delineate cleaning and sanitization procedures for food-contact surfaces; and

(f)

Describes the training program that ensures that the individual responsible for the reduced oxygen packaging operation understands the:

(i)

Concepts needed for a safe operation;

(ii)

Equipment and facilities; and

(iii)

Procedures specified under paragraph (K)(2)(e) of this rule and the HACCP plan for the operation.

(g)

Is provided to the regulatory authority prior to implementation.