Canadian Food Inspection Agency
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Chapter 3 – Pre-requisite Programs
Equipment
3.7 Equipment in a Registered Establishment
Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990 Requirements:
28.
- (1) It is a requirement for the registration of an establishment pursuant to subsection 27(3) that the establishment
- q) have, for the slaughter of food animals and for the inspection handling and storing of meat products, equipment that
is
- (i) constructed of corrosion-resistant material free of any noxious constituent and capable of withstanding repeated cleaning,
- (ii) accessible for cleaning, servicing and inspection or easily disassembled for those purposes, and
- (iii) effective for the purpose for which it is intended;
- r) have food contact surfaces that are
- (i) non-toxic,
- (ii) smooth,
- (iii) free from pitting, crevices and loose scale,
- (iv) unaffected by food,
- (v) capable of withstanding repeated cleaning, and
- (vi) non-absorbent;
- q) have, for the slaughter of food animals and for the inspection handling and storing of meat products, equipment that
is
34.
- (4) No equipment shall be used in a registered establishment to slaughter a food animal, dress a carcass or inspect, grade, process, package or label a meat product unless the equipment complies with the requirements set out in paragraph 28(1)(q).
Ensuing Policy Requirements
Equipment shall be installed in a manner that ensures it is:
- easily accessible for cleaning and inspection;
- capable of delivering the requirements of the process;
- not causing contamination of the meat products during operations;
- not interfering with the inspection by the CFIA inspector(s); and
- not impeding the cleaning and inspection of drains and drain inlets.
Services (gases, water, plumbing, electricity, etc.) shall be connected in a manner to ensure proper sanitation of the equipment and area. All equipment as well as service lines shall be installed away from walls and ceilings, to provide sufficient access for cleaning purposes or shall be easily movable to permit cleaning and sanitation. Alternatively, permanently mounted equipment shall be completely sealed to the wall, floor or ceiling.
The use of electric cords shall be based on both sanitary and safety considerations. Drop cords suspended from the ceiling may be retractable and used to connect portable equipment as required provided the cords are properly wired to the power source and kept in a suitably sanitary condition.
Provision shall be made for the inspection of overhead belt conveyors without resorting to the use of ladders or mobile platforms.
Equipment discharging water or other waste fluids shall be directly drained.
Commercially built new equipment shall be accompanied by the manufacturer printed Operating Manual which must include, among other information, detailed cleaning, maintenance, and installation instructions.
For used, rebuilt, or custom-built equipment, the supplier of the equipment or the operator shall prepare a customized Operating Manual containing the same information as for commercially built new equipment.
The operator shall refer to section 3.9.4 for information related to the equipment maintenance.
Non-mandatory Items for Consideration
The CFIA is recommending that equipment should be built in accordance with international standards describing sanitary design and construction of equipment intended for the slaughter of food animals and handling of meat products.
Application of listed below international standards in the design and construction of the equipment should be beneficial in achieving compliance with the pertinent sections of the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990:
- Hygiene Requirements for the Design of Meat and Poultry Processing Equipment – ANSI/NSF/3A 14159-1
- Hygiene Requirements for the Design of Hand Held Tools used in Meat and Poultry Processing – ANSI/NSF/3A 14159-2
- Assessment for Cleanability of Belting Materials used in Meat and Poultry Processing Equipment – ANSI/NSF/3A 14159-3
- 3-A Sanitary Standards
- NSF International – National Sanitation Foundation International Standards
- European Norms for Food Processing Machinery
