Georgia Department of Agriculture

(This document is intended to be a "Guideline" which describes in simple terms a number of basic requirements which must be met before licensing food firms. Prior to building your honey house we highly recommend that, you contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Customer Protection Division at 404-656-3627 or 1-800-282-5852 ext. 3627)

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BASIC REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSING FOOD FIRMS

(Including Honey Houses)

Licensing:

Georgia Food Act (Section 26-2-25) "It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a food sales establishment without having first obtained a license from the Commissioner"

"Food Sales Establishment" means retail and wholesale grocery stores; retail seafood stores and places of business; food processing plants, except those food processing plants which are currently required to obtain a license from the Commissioner under any other provision of law; bakeries; confectioneries; fruit, nuts, and vegetable stores or roadside stands; wholesale sandwich and salad manufacturers, including vending machines and operations connected therewith; and places of business and similar establishments, mobile or permanent, engaged in the sale of food primarily for consumption off the premises.

A license may not be transferred from one person to another person, from one food establishment to another, or from one type of operation to another.

The Department does not issue temporary permits.

Facilities:

Contact with the appropriate District Office is strongly recommended prior to the beginning of any construction. A private home, a room used as living or sleeping quarters, or an area directly opening into a room used as living or sleeping quarters may not be used for conducting food establishment operations.

Living or sleeping quarters located on the premises of a food establishment shall be separated from rooms and areas used for food establishment operations by complete partitioning and solid self-closing doors.

Facility Requirements:

Exterior Walls, Doors, Floors and Roof of a food establishment shall effectively protect the establishment from the weather and the entry of insects, rodents, and other animals. Be smooth, durable and easily cleanable for areas where food establishment operations are conducted.

Attachments to walls and ceilings such as light fixtures, mechanical room ventilation system components, vent covers, wall mounted fans, decorative items, and other attachments shall be easily cleanable.

Pest Control:

Adequate measures shall be in place to preclude contamination by insects, .rodents, and other pests: within the physical facility and it contents; and on the contiguous land or property.

Sinks:

            Sink requirement is determined by the type of food operation.

Ware Washing:

            Except as specified below, a sink with at least 3 compartments shall be provided for manually washing, rinsing, and sanitizing equipment and utensils.

A 2-compartment sink may be used only if:

1. Its use is approved by the Department; and

2. The nature of ware washing is limited to batch operations.

Sink compartments shall be large enough to accommodate immersion of the largest equipment and utensils.

Hand Washing:

            At least one hand wash sink shall be located in or immediately adjacent to toilets rooms. Additionally, hand washing facilities shall be installed to permit the convenient use by all employees in food preparation and ware washing areas.

Service (Mop Sink):

            At least 1 service sink or 1 curbed cleaning facility equipped with a floor drain shall be provided and conveniently located.

Toilets:

            At least 1 toilet and not fewer than the number of toilets as may be required by other laws shall be provided.

Water:

            Water shall be obtained from an approved public or private source. The water source and system shall be sufficient capacity and pressure to meet the water demands of food establishment.

Hot Water:

            Hot water generation and distribution systems shall be sufficient to meet the peek hot water demands throughout the food establishment.

Plumbing:

            A plumbing system shall be designed, constructed and installed according to local code.

            Floor drains may be required under some conditions and shall be installed as regulations and local codes require.

            A plumbing system and hoses conveying water shall be constructed and repaired with approved materials.

Sewage:

            Sewage shall be disposed through an approved public or individual disposal system.

Outside Premises:

            The premises shall be free of excessive vegetative growth and debris.

            The outdoor walking and driving areas shall be surfaced with materials that minimize dust, facilitate maintenance, and prevent muddy conditions.

            Exterior surfaces of establishment buildings and associated structures shall be of weather resistant materials.

            Exterior walking and driving surfaces shall be graded to drain.

Refrigeration:

            Equipment for cooling and heating food and holding hot and cold food shall be sufficient in number and capacity to provide proper food temperatures. A maximum of 40° F for Cold Foods and a minimum of 135° F for Hot Foods.

Food:

            Food shall be of sound condition and safe for human consumption and shall be obtained from sources that comply with applicable laws relating to food safety.

            Food prepared in a private home may not be used or offered for human consumption in a food sales establishment, neither shall rooms used to store or offer food for sale, be used as living quarters.

Labels:

            Prior to the manufacture of products, all packed product labels are subject to review by the Department as administrative procedures enjoin.

Basic label requirement for food products include:

1. The name of manufacturer, packer or distributor.

2. The address of the manufacture, packer, or distributor, including the Zip Code.

3. The Net Contents in definite units (Refer to 40-15-3-.08)

   1. If liquid, in liquid measure

   2. If solid in terms of weight

   3. If a mixture (solid and Liquid) in terms of weight

4. The declaration of contents of a package must be listed on the label and shall appear on the bottom 30 % of the principal display panel.

5. Metric declaration must be listed on label of food products.

For example: Net Wt.16 oz (454 g.); Net. 16 Fl. Oz. (473 ml.)

6. The common name of the product. 6. A list of ingredients, the common name of each ingredient, and in order of predominance by weight. Under certain conditions, the following are necessary:

   1. Optional ingredients

   2. Dietary properties, if claimed

   3. If used, artificial ingredients must be so labeled

   4. Clearly indicated in event anything is Imitation

   5. NLEA Requirements

Lapels submitted for review by the Atlanta Office should first be critiqued by responsible sanitarian and/or supervisor using label review policy (Memorandum No. 96-4) and deficiencies addressed with management and corrected prior to submission.

Inspection:

            Inspections shall be conducted as often as the Department deems necessary to insure compliance with these regulations and at a minimum established by Departmental directives.

            Additionally, specific regulations will apply as type of food operation may require. (Example: Mobile Vehicle, Salvage Foods, etc.)