Health Regulations for Dairy Product Factories

Article ( l ): Article (2): Health Regulations for Dairy Product Factories A municipal licence for the factory shall be obtained from the concerned municipality prior to practising the activity. The factory shall be constructed on a suitable site from an environmental point of view and shall be located far from any source of pollution. It shall be of an area suited to the size of production. Article (3 ): The floor shall be covered with suitable tiles, epoxy or any other material suited to the nature of work. It shall be provided with a semicircular drain covered with iron grating in processing and packing divisions and shall be connected with the sewage system. Dairy processing and packing division walls shall be covered with suitable white tiles while the walls of other divisions shall be coated with light oil paint. Article ( 4 ): The factory equipment such as tanks, basins, pasteurisation appliances refrigerators, homogenisers, delivery pipes, pumps ... etc. shall conform to international and Omani standards. Article (5): The factory shall have an effective programme that enhances public health in terms of cleanliness. Article (6): All electrical wires and connections inside the walls shall be covered. Article (7): Sufficient light and ventilation shall be provided. Article (8): The factory shall have an effective programme for combating insects and rodents. Article (9): All doors shall be of a suitable self-shutting type. Article (10):Detergents, disinfectants and the like shall be kept in a special place away from processing and product storage places. 48 Article ( 11 ): Workers shall be provided with water closets conforming to the Sultanate standards, together with bathrooms provided with liquid soap and tissue paper. Their doors shall not open into processing and packing divisions. Article (12):The factory shall have a sewage system complying with the provisions of the Regulations for Septic Tanks and Holding Tanks. Article ( I 3 ): The factory shall include the following divisions: a) Packages and raw material store. b) Dairy and its products processing division. c) Packing division. d) Processed dairy and products division. e) Laboratory division. f) Workers changing-room. It is permissible for a small factory to designate one partition for processing and packing. Article ( 14 ): The specifications of packages and raw materials store to be adhered to are as follows: a) The store area shall be suitable for the quantities intended to be stored. b) Packages used in packing dairy and its products shall be placed in a separate place within the store on tables or shelves of a height not less than 30 cm from the floor, and they shall be in good condition and clean. c) The dairy and product packages and their labels shall conform to the Sultanate standard specifications. d) Raw materials that require no refrigeration shall be placed on tables or shelves of a height not less than 30 cm, arranged in rows. e) Raw materials that require refrigeration shall be kept inside refrigerators. 49 Article ( 15): The specifications of the dairy and its products processing division shall be as follows: (1) Processing of pasteurised milk: a) Milk on delivery shall be pure and cold. b) Liquid milk pasteurisation shall be by heating to a temperature of 63°c for 30 minutes or by heating it to a temperature varying from 71.5° c to 75°c for 15 seconds. c) Milk may be subjected to a flavouring or homogenisation process to obtain a product with unified odour and taste. (2) Processing of pasteurised cream: Cream pasteurisation (when separated from milk) is to be carried out by heating it to a temperature of79.5°c for I 5 seconds. Then it shall be subject to refrigeration to a temperature varying from I 0c - 2°c. (3) Processing of Sterilised milk: Milk shall be pasteurised then sterilised by heating it to a temperature of 140° c for I to 2 seconds. (4) Processing of concentrated and condensed milk: Milk shall be pasteurised then condensed according to the Sultanate standard methods. (5). Processing ofYogurt and Laban: a) The yeast shall be prepared from a pure and effective bacterial culture. b) Mixing containers shall be with strong stainless covers. c) Pasteurised milk shall be fermented in suitable special containers or incubators. d) Salt of an Omani standard specification shall be used when processing salted milk. (6) Processing of cheese: Pasteurised milk shall be used in the production of different varieties of cheese, using international or local standard equipment. 50