e-CFR data is current as of February 25, 2021 |
Title 7 → Subtitle B → Chapter I → Subchapter C → Part 58 → Subpart B → Subject Group |
Title 7: Agriculture
PART 58—GRADING AND INSPECTION, GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR APPROVED PLANTS AND STANDARDS FOR GRADES OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
Subpart B—General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service
The equipment and utensils used for the handling and processing of cheese products shall be as specified in §58.128 of this subpart. In addition, for certain other equipment the following requirements shall be met.
Conveyors shall be constructed of material which can be properly cleaned, will not rust, or otherwise contaminate the cheese, and shall be maintained in good repair.
The grinders or shredders used in the preparation of the trimmed and cleaned cheese shall be of corrosion-resistant material, and of such construction as to prevent contamination of the cheese and to allow thorough cleaning of all parts and product contact surfaces.
The cookers shall be the steam jacketed or direct steam type. They shall be constructed of stainless steel or other equally corrosion-resistant material. All product contact surfaces shall be readily accessible for cleaning. Each cooker shall be equipped with an indicating thermometer, and shall be equipped with a temperature recording device. The recording thermometer stem may be placed in the cooker if satisfactory time charts are obtained, if not, the stem shall be placed in the hotwell or filler hopper. Steam check valves on direct steam type cookers shall be mounted flush with cooker wall, be constructed of stainless steel and designed to prevent the backup of product into the steam line, or the steam line shall be constructed of stainless steel pipes and fittings which can be readily cleaned. If direct steam is applied to the product only culinary steam shall be used (see §58.127(d)).
A strainer should be installed between the cooker and the filler. The hoppers of all filters shall be covered but the cover may have sight ports. If necessary, the hopper may have an agitator to prevent buildup on side wall. The filler valves and head shall be kept in good repair and capable of accurate measurements. Product contact surfaces shall be of stainless steel or other corrosion resistant material.