(a) The milk plant shall operate in a manner to facilitate maintenance and sanitary operations for food-production purposes (i.e., manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding). The milk plant shall:

(b) During processing, pipelines and equipment used to contain or conduct milk and milk products shall be effectively separated from tanks or circuits containing cleaning and/or sanitizing solutions.

(c) All milk, milk products, and ingredients that have overflowed, leaked, been spilled, improperly handled, or are otherwise adulterated shall be discarded or, if appropriate, treated or processed to eliminate the contamination. Milk and milk products drained from processing equipment at the end of a run, or collected from a defoamer system and milk solids rinsed from equipment, containers or pipelines, may be repasteurized only if such milk or milk products are handled in a sanitary manner and maintained at 45ºF (7ºC) or less. When the handling and/or refrigeration of such milk and milk products are not in compliance with this requirement, they shall be discarded. Returned packaged milk and milk products, frozen desserts or melloream shall not be repasteurized for Grade A milk products, frozen desserts or melloream use; provided, that the repasteurization of milk and milk products shipped in transport tankers which have been pasteurized at another Grade A plant and have been handled in a sanitary manner and maintained at 45ºF (7ºC) or less is permitted.

(d) All product-contact surfaces of containers, equipment and utensils are covered or otherwise protected to prevent the access of insects, dust, condensation and other contamination. All openings, including valves and piping attached to milk storage and milk tank trucks, pumps or vats, etc., shall be capped or otherwise properly protected. While unloading at a receiving station, transfer station or pasteurization plant, one of the following conditions shall be met:

(e) Air under pressure that is used for the agitation or movement of milk, or is directed at a milk-contact surface, shall be free of oil, dust, rust, excessive moisture, extraneous materials and odor. The use of steam containing toxic substances is expressly prohibited. whenever steam is used on contact with milk or milk products, it shall be of culinary quality and shall comply with the applicable standards of quality. Compressed air or other gases mechanically introduced into food or used to clean food-contact surfaces or equipment shall be treated in such a way that food is not contaminated with unlawful indirect food additives.

(f) Standardization is done before the pasteurization process is started, unless pasteurized milk or milk products are used for standardization. Such pasteurized milk products shall be protected against contamination. In no case shall pasteurized milk or milk products be standardized with unpasteurized milk unless the standardized product is subsequently pasteurized. Reconstituted or recombined milk and milk products shall be pasteurized after reconstitution or recombining of all ingredients. Standardization of grade A milk and milk products with other than grade A milk and milk products is prohibited. Standardization is done only in accordance with the provisions of section 35.2 and in plants which have received permission to standardize in accordance with section 35.3 of this Title.

(g) The processing of foods and/or drinks other than grade A milk and milk products are performed to preclude the contamination of such milk and milk products.

(h) Means are provided to prevent contamination of milk containers, utensils and equipment by drippings, spillage and splash from overhead piping, platforms or mezzanines.

(i) All ingredients and nonproduct-contact materials used in the preparation or packaging of milk and milk products shall be stored in a clean place and so handled as to prevent their contamination.

(j) Pasteurized milk is not strained or filtered except through a perforated metal strainer.

(k) Only the following toxic materials may be used or stored in a plant where food is processed or exposed:

(l) Those poisonous or toxic materials that are necessary:

(m) Those poisonous or toxic materials that may be used or stored, pursuant to subdivision (k) of this section, shall be stored in a separate area of the plant in containers that have labels affixed thereto that prominently and distinctly advise and warn against the use of such materials in a manner that may cause or contribute to contamination of food, food contact surfaces, or food packaging materials; provided, that this does not preclude the convenient availability of detergents or sanitizers to areas where equipment, containers and utensils are washed and sanitized.

(n) Effective measures shall be taken to exclude pests from the manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding areas and to protect against the contamination of food on the premises by pests. The use of pesticides to control pests in the plant is permitted only to the extent that precautions and restrictions are taken that will protect against the contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, and food-packaging materials. Only pesticides approved by the commissioner and/or registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shall be used for pest control. Such pesticides shall be used only in accordance with the manufacturer's label directions and shall be prevented from contaminating food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials.

(o) Appropriate quality control operations must be employed to ensure that food is suitable for human consumption and that food-packaging materials are safe and suitable. Adequate precautions shall be taken to ensure that production procedures do not contribute to allergen cross-contact and to contamination from any source.

(p) All operations in the manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding of food (including operations directed to receiving, inspecting, transporting, and segregating) shall be conducted in accordance with adequate sanitation principles.

(q) All food manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding shall be conducted under such conditions and controls as are necessary to minimize the potential for the growth of microorganisms, allergen cross-contact, contamination of food, and deterioration of food.

(r) Chemical, microbial, or extraneous-material testing procedures shall be used where necessary to identify sanitation failures or possible allergen cross-contact and food contamination.

(s) Instruments and controls used for measuring, regulating, or recording temperatures, pH, acidity, water activity, or other conditions that control or prevent the growth of undesirable microorganisms in food shall be accurate and precise, adequately maintained, and adequate in number for their designated uses.

(t) The mixing of adulterated food with another lot of food shall not permitted and renders the final food adulterated.

(u) The manufacturer, processor, packer, and holder of food shall at all times utilize quality control operations that reduce natural or unavoidable defects to the lowest level currently feasible.

(v) Storage and transportation of food shall be under conditions that will adequately protect against allergen cross-contact and against biological, chemical (including radiological), and physical contamination of food, as well as against deterioration of the food and the container.

(w) Human food by-products held for distribution as animal food without additional manufacturing or processing by the human food processor shall be held under conditions that will protect against contamination, including the following: