Section 65.160  Minimum Sanitation Requirements for Retailers and Institutional Consumers

a)         Only new packaging material will be used to sell eggs at retail. This regulation applies to any size container and the packing material used therein.

b)         Display cases in which eggs are offered for sale to consumers must be clean and free from any substances or conditions whereby the eggs could become adulterated through absorption of bacteria or odors which would affect the quality of taste of the eggs.

c)         All storage areas where eggs are held prior to being placed in display cases or other area accessible to consumers must be continuously maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. Eggs will not be stored in the same area with:

1)         consumer-size containers which have been rejected for damaged eggs,

2)         onions, fish, and other strong smelling food items,

3)         cleaning compounds, pesticides or any other chemicals of any kind or sort whatsoever.

d)         Institutional consumers shall not keep shell eggs in the kitchen or cooking area for longer than one hour from the time they are removed from the cooler.

e)         Retailers and institutional consumers should keep their supplies of eggs properly rotated at all times so that the oldest eggs as determined by the candling date on the master containers or consumer-size containers are used first.

f)         Consumer-size containers holding damaged eggs whereby the contents are exuding or free to exude through the shell membranes shall be removed from the display area. If such damage results in spillage of egg contents on other cartons or upon the bottom of the display case, the cartons or display case floor must be cleaned within a reasonable time.

g)         In all storage areas, master containers shall be kept above the floor at all times.

(Source:  Amended at 21 Ill. Reg. 900, effective January 1, 1997)