§ 59.772. Equipment and utensils.

 (a)  General construction, repair, and installation. Equipment and utensils necessary to the manufacture of cheese and related products shall meet the requirements of §  59.704 (relating to equipment and utensils). For other equipment the requirements in this section shall be met.

 (b)  Starter vats. Bulk starter vats shall be of stainless steel or equally corrosion resistant metal and shall be in good repair, equipped with tight-fitting lids and have adequate temperature controls, such as valves, indicating or recording thermometers. New vats shall be constructed according to the applicable 3-A Sanitary Standards.

 (c)  Cheese vats. Requirements shall be as follows:

   (1)  The vats used for making cheese shall be of metal construction with adequate jacket capacity for uniform heating. The inner liner shall be minimum 16-gauge stainless steel or other equally corrosion resistant metal, properly pitched from side to center and from rear to front for adequate drainage. The liner shall be smooth, free from excessive dents or creases and shall extend over the edge of the outer jacket. The outer jacket, when metal, shall be constructed of stainless steel or other metal which can be kept clean and sanitary. The junction of the liner and outer jackets shall be contructed so as to prevent milk or cheese from entering the inner jacket.

   (2)  The vat shall be equipped with a suitable sanitary outlet valve. Effective valves shall be provided and properly maintained to control the application of heat to the vat.

   (3)  Copper Swiss kettles will be acceptable and need not be equipped with outlet valves.

 (d)  Mechanical agitators. The mechanical agitators shall be of sanitary construction. The carriage and track shall be constructed to prevent the dropping of dirt or grease into the vat. Metal blades, forks or stirrers shall be constructed of stainless steel and of material approved in the 3-A Sanitary Standards for Plastic and Rubber or Rubber-like Materials and shall be free from rough or sharp edges which might scratch the equipment or remove metal particles.

 (e)  Curd mill and miscellaneous equipment. Knives, hand rakes, shovels, paddles, strainers and miscellaneous equipment shall be stainless steel or of material approved in the 3-A Sanitary Standards for Plastic and Rubber-Like Material. The product contact surfaces of the curd mill shall be of stainless steel. Pieces of equipment shall be constructed so they can be kept clean. The wires in the curd knives shall be stainless steel, kept tight and replaced when necessary.

 (f)  Hoops and followers. The hoops, forms, and followers shall be constructed of stainless steel or heavy tinned steel. If tinned, they shall be kept tinned and free from rust. Hoops, forms and followers shall be kept in good repair. Drums or other special forms used to press and store cheese shall be clean and sanitary.

 (g)  Press. The cheese press shall be constructed of stainless steel and all joints welded and all surfaces, seams and openings readily cleanable. The pressure device shall be the continuous type. Press cloths shall be maintained in good repair and in a sanitary condition. Single-service press cloths shall be used only once.

 (h)  Rindless cheese press. The press used to heat seal the wrapper applied to rindless cheese shall have square interior corners, reasonably smooth interior surface and have controls that shall provide uniform pressure and heat equally to all surfaces.

 (i)  Paraffin tanks. The metal tank shall be adequate in size, have wood rather than metal racks to support the cheese, have heat controls and an indicating thermometer. The cheese wax shall be kept clean.