# COMAR Title 10 — Maryland Department of Health

## Subtitle 15 — Food

### Chapter 02 — Crab Meat

#### Regulation .06 Plant Sanitation.

*COMAR 10.15.02.06*

The person-in-charge shall ensure that:

A. Individuals in the plant:

  (1) Practice good personal hygiene;

  (2) Are excluded from working with food when the individuals are sick with an illness that is transmittable through food;

  (3) While working with food, wash the individuals' hands frequently and after an activity that is likely to soil the hands;

  (4) Wear clean outerwear, hair coverings, and no jewelry;

  (5) If handling crabs or crab meat, maintain trim and clean fingernails, and do not wear false fingernails;

  (6) Store personal items in a designated non-food area; and

  (7) Do not smoke or engage in an activity that might contaminate food;

B. Picking trays, knives, and gloves are washed, rinsed, and sanitized before use and after each delivery of crab meat to the packing room;

C. Except as provided in §B of this regulation, food contact surfaces are cleaned and sanitized:

  (1) As often as needed to prevent food contamination; and

  (2) At a minimum:

    (a) Following processing; and

    (b) Between an interruption in processing of greater than 2 hours;

D. During processing, gross soil is removed from food contact surfaces and the surfaces are sanitized:

  (1) After a continuous use of 6 hours; and

  (2) After an interruption in processing of greater than 30 minutes;

E. When a time greater than 8 hours separates the start of processing from previous cleaning and sanitizing, food contact surfaces are sanitized again before work resumes;

F. Non-food contact surfaces that receive splash or waste are cleaned and sanitized:

  (1) As often as necessary to maintain a sanitary condition; and

  (2) At a minimum following each day's use;

G. Cleaning procedures:

  (1) Include the use of detergents or other cleaning chemicals; and

  (2) Remove soils;

H. The sanitization of surfaces is effective in killing pathogens on the treated surface;

I. Non-food contact surfaces that do not receive splash or waste are cleaned as often as necessary to maintain a sanitary condition;

J. Before cleaning, all food and food packaging is removed from the area being cleaned;

K. Cleaning and sanitizing occur in a manner that protects food from contamination;

L. In-use and cleaned equipment and utensils are stored to prevent contamination of the equipment and utensils;

M. Waste, including chum, is held in a sanitary manner and disposed of to maintain the plant grounds in a sanitary condition; and

N. Outdoor containers for chum that are not vermin-proof or insect-proof are removed daily and transported to a disposal site.