Sec.22-133-128. Retail raw milk cheese, production and manufacture. Standards

(a) The standards, facilities, production and sale of retail raw milk cheese shall comply with the requirements for the manufacture of cheese contained in section 22-133-118 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, except as modified by sections 22-133-128 through 22-133-130 inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(b) All retail raw milk cheese shall be aged a minimum of sixty days at a temperature of not less than thirty five (35) degrees Fahrenheit.

(c) Salt, acidifying agents, rennet, flavoring ingredients as well as other generally recognized safe and suitable ingredients as defined in 21 CFR 184 may be added to retail raw milk cheese.

(d) The milk used in the manufacture of retail raw milk cheese shall comply with sections 22-133-124 to 22-133-126, inclusive, and section 22-133-129 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(e) A clean room shall separate the areas used to process, hold, age and package retail raw milk cheese from milking areas, animal housing areas, toilet facilities and other areas used for domestic purposes. All outside openings shall be screened and all exterior doors and entrances to cheese processing areas shall be equipped with self-closing doors. Toilet facilities shall be equipped with a self-closing door.

(f) Each retail raw milk cheese manufacturer shall identify each individual cheese made. The system to identify each cheese shall use consecutive numbers and include the date of manufacture as part of the identification. Each retail raw milk cheese manufacturer shall keep records of production. These records shall include the date, the amount of milk used in that day's production, the kind of cheese produced, the amount of each type of cheese produced and the identification number of each individual cheese. The records shall be kept on the premises and shall be available for inspection.

(Adopted effective October 1, 2005)