Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies
(a) All food shall be from an approved source and shall be clean, wholesome, free from spoilage, decay, or misbranding, and safe for human consumption. All food products, while being stored, prepared, or transported, shall be handled so as to prevent their becoming contaminated with filth. Food shall be protected from cross contamination by separating raw animal foods by species and by separating raw animal foods from raw ready-to-eat foods and ready-to-eat foods.
(b) All food products shall meet the standards of identity established for such products under applicable federal and state regulations, codes, or statutes.
(c) All fresh and frozen oysters, clams, mussels, and other shell fish shall be from approved sources.
(1) All shell stock tags/labels shall be retained for 90 days from the date that the container is emptied.
(2) Before service or sale in ready-to-eat form, raw, raw-marinated, partially cooked, or marinated-partially cooked fish other than molluscan shellfish and tuna of the species thunnus alalunga, thunnus albacares (yellowfin tuna), thunnus atlanticus, thunnus maccoyii (bluefin tuna, southern), thunnus obesus (bigeye tuna), or thunnus thynnus (bluefin tuna, northern) shall be frozen and stored at a temperature of -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) or below for 168 hours (7 days) in a freezer; or frozen at -31 degrees Fahrenheit (-35 degrees Celsius) or below until solid and stored at -31 degrees Fahrenheit (-35 degrees Celsius) for 15 hours. If raw, raw-marinated, partially cooked, or marinated-partially cooked fish are served or sold in ready-to-eat form, the person in charge shall record the freezing temperature and time to which the fish are subjected and shall retain the records of the food establishment for 90 calendar days beyond the time of service or sale of the fish.
(d) All baked goods, frozen desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages manufactured or offered for sale in a food establishment shall have been manufactured or produced in a facility duly licensed by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
(e) All meat and meat products and all poultry and poultry products held or sold in food establishments shall have been inspected for wholesomeness under an official regulatory program. The temperature in meat storage rooms shall be 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. The temperature in meat cutting and wrapping rooms shall be maintained to insure that the temperature of the meat shall be 45 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
(f) All potentially hazardous foods shall be stored and transported at the safe temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit or below or 135 degrees Fahrenheit or above in order to protect against rapid and progressive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms. Potentially hazardous foods shall be thawed at refrigerated temperatures of 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) or below; or under cool potable running water 70 degrees (21 degrees Celsius) or below; or quick thawed as part of the cooking process. Potentially hazardous products stored in open display cases shall not be stacked above the load level line.
(g) All perishable foods shall be stored at such temperature as will protect against spoilage.
(h) All food products shall have been prepared in a commercial food processing establishment; provided, that the director may accept other sources which are in his opinion satisfactory and which are in compliance with applicable state and local laws and regulations.
(i) All non-acid and low-acid hermetically sealed foods shall have been processed in commercial food processing establishments.
(j) All potentially hazardous foods shall be cooked to heat all parts of the food to a temperature and for a time that complies with one of the following methods based on the food that is being cooked:
(1) 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) or above for 15 seconds for poultry, wild game animals, stuffed fish, stuffed meat, stuffed pasta, stuffed poultry, stuffed ratites, or stuffing containing fish, meat, poultry, or ratites except that raw animal foods cooked in a microwave oven shall also be rotated, stirred, and covered during the cooking process;
(2) 155 degrees Fahrenheit (68 degrees Celsius) or above for 15 seconds for eggs not prepared for immediate service, and comminuted foods containing fish, meats, game animals, and ratites; and
(3) 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 degrees Celsius) or above for 15 seconds for all other potentially hazardous foods.
(k) All potentially hazardous foods shall be reheated so that all parts of the food reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) in less than 2 hours.
(l) Ready-to-eat food taken from a commercially processed, hermetically sealed container, or from an intact package from a food processing plant that is inspected by the food regulatory authority that has jurisdiction over the plant, shall be heated to a temperature of at least 135 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) for hot holding.
(m) Cooked potentially hazardous food shall be cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) within 2 hours, and from 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) or below within 4 additional hours. Potentially hazardous food shall be cooled within 4 hours to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) or below if prepared from ingredients at ambient temperature, such as reconstituted foods and canned tuna.
(n) If time only, rather than time and temperature, is used for a working supply of potentially hazardous food before cooking, or for ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food that is displayed or held for service for immediate consumption, such food shall be marked to indicate when the food was removed from temperature control, and shall be cooked and/or served within 4 hours from the time the food was removed from temperature control. Food that is in unmarked containers or packages or exceeds the 4 hour limit shall be discarded.
(Effective June 22, 1990; Amended September 1, 2005)