Sec.21a-61-6. Transportation

(a) Equipment. (1) Vehicles of transporation shall be equipped: (A) With a combination of insulation and mechanical refrigeration system, or other refrigeration methods or facilities, capable of maintaining an air and product temperature of 0°F., or lower, while loaded with any frozen food; and (B) with a thermometer, or other appropriate means of temperature measurement indicating air temperature inside the vehicle. The dial or reading element of the thermometer shall be mounted on the outside of the vehicle. (2) Vehicles used for route delivery shall comply with all equipment provisions herein specified for vehicles of transportation and shall be equipped with curtains or flaps in the doorway area, or with port doors, to maintain refrigeration during stops.

(b) Handling practices for over-the-road transportation. (1) Vehicles shall be precooled to an air temperature of 20°F., or lower, before loading. (2) Frozen food shipments shall not be accepted for transportation when the internal product temperature exceeds 0°F. (3) Frozen food shall be loaded within a vehicle of transportation to provide for free circulation of refrigerated air at the front, rear, top, bottom and both sides of the load, except for vehicles of envelope type construction wherein refrigerated air circulates within walls of such vehicles. (4) The mechanical refrigerating unit of vehicles shall be turned on and doors of vehicles shall be kept closed during any time interval when loading or unloading operations cease. (5) The average product temperature of any shipment of frozen food shall be determined during loading and unloading by adequate temperature readings.

(c) Handling practices for route delivery. In addition to all provisions specified in subsection (b) of this section, the following provisions shall be met: (1) Each lot for individual consignment shall be refrigerated by means of mechanical refrigeration, dry ice, or by any other means capable of maintaining an air and product temperature of 0°F., or lower; (2) insulated containers shall be precooled to a temperature of 20°F., or lower, before being loaded with frozen food; and (3) doors of vehicles shall be kept closed during any time interval that loading or unloading operations cease.

(d) Sanitary provisions. (1) All interior surfaces of vehicles and devices used for transporting frozen food shall be clean and free of objectionable odors before being loaded with frozen food. (2) Frozen food shall be securely packaged, or wrapped, in a sanitary manner before they are accepted for transportation.

(Effective July 27, 1984)