Principles of Food Sanitation

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fruit and vegetable juice and juice prod-
ucts and is known as the Juice HACCP reg-
ulation.


Environmental Regulations


The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) enforces provisions for numerous
statutes related to the environment, many of
which affect food establishments. Environ-
mental regulations that affect sanitation of
the food facility include the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act; Clean Air Act; Fed-
eral Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide
Act (FIFRA); and the Resource Conserva-
tion and Recovery Act.
The EPA is involved in the registration of
sanitizers by both their trade and chemical
names. Sanitizing compounds are recognized
through federal regulators as pesticides;
thus, their uses are derived from the FIFRA.
The EPA requires environmental impact,
antimicrobial efficacy, and toxicologic pro-
files. Furthermore, specific label information
and technical literature that detail recom-
mended use of applications and specific
directions for use are required. Disinfectants
must be identified by the phrase: β€œIt is a vio-
lation of federal law to use this product in a
manner inconsistent with its labeling.”


Federal Water Pollution Control Act


This act is important to the food industry
because it provides for an administrative per-
mit procedure for controlling water pollu-
tion. The National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES), which is
under this permit system, requires that
industrial, municipal, and other point-
source dischargers obtain permits that estab-
lish specific limitations on the discharge of
pollutants into navigable waters. The pur-
pose of this permit is to effect the gradual
reduction of pollutants discharged into
streams and lakes. Effluent guidelines and


standards have been developed specific to
industry groups or product groups. Regu-
lations for meat products and selected
seafood products, grain and cereal products,
dairy products, selected fruit and vegetable
products, and beet and cane sugar refining
are published by the EPA.

Clean Air Act
This act, devised to reduce air pollution,
gives the EPA direct control over polluting
sources in the industry, such as emission con-
trols on automobiles. Generally, state and
local agencies set pollution standards based
on EPA recommendations and are responsi-
ble for their enforcement. This statute is of
concern to the food operation that may dis-
charge air pollutants through odors, smoke-
stacks, incineration, or other methods.

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,
and Rodenticide Act
The FIFRA authorized EPA control of
the manufacture, composition, labeling, clas-
sification, and application of pesticides.
Through the registration provisions of the
act, the EPA must classify each pesticide
either for restricted use or for common use,
with periodic reclassification and registra-
tion as necessary. A pesticide classified for
restricted use must be applied only by or
under the direct supervision and guidance of
a certified applicator. Those who are certi-
fied, either by the EPA or by a state, to use or
supervise the use of restricted pesticides
must meet certain standards, demonstrated
through written examination and/or per-
formance testing. Commercial applicators
are required to have certain standards of
competence in the specific category in which
they are certified.
Current EPA regulations permit the use of
certain residual insecticides for crack and
crevice treatment in food areas of food estab-
lishments. The EPA lists residual pesticides

12 PRINCIPLES OFFOODSANITATION

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