RCW 69.22.040 Basic hygiene inspections.

(1) The permitted area of all cottage food operations must be inspected for basic hygiene by the director both before initial permitting under RCW 69.22.030 and annually after initial permitting. In addition, the director may inspect the permitted area of a cottage food operation at any time in response to a foodborne outbreak or other public health emergency.

(2) When conducting an annual basic hygiene inspection, the director shall, at a minimum, inspect for the following:

(a) That the permitted cottage food operator understands that no person other than the permittee, or a person under the direct supervision of the permittee, may be engaged in the processing, preparing, packaging, or handling of any cottage food products or be in the home kitchen during the preparation, packaging, or handling of any cottage food products;

(b) That no cottage food preparation, packaging, or handling is occurring in the home kitchen concurrent with any other domestic activities such as family meal preparation, dishwashing, clothes washing or ironing, kitchen cleaning, or guest entertainment;

(c) That no infants, small children, or pets are in the home kitchen during the preparation, packaging, or handling of any cottage food products;

(d) That all food contact surfaces, equipment, and utensils used for the preparation, packaging, or handling of any cottage food products are washed, rinsed, and sanitized before each use;

(e) That all food preparation and food and equipment storage areas are maintained free of rodents and insects; and

(f) That all persons involved in the preparation and packaging of cottage food products:

(i) Have obtained a food and beverage service worker's permit under chapter 69.06 RCW;

(ii) Are not going to work in the home kitchen when ill;

(iii) Wash their hands before any food preparation and food packaging activities; and

(iv) Avoid bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods through the use of single-service gloves, bakery papers, tongs, or other utensils.

(3) The department shall charge an inspection fee of one hundred twenty-five dollars for any initial or annual basic hygiene inspection, which must be deposited into the food processing inspection account created in RCW 69.07.120. An additional inspection fee must be collected for each visit to a cottage food operation for the purposes of conducting an inspection for compliance.

(4) The director may contract with local health jurisdictions to conduct the inspections required under this section.

[ 2011 c 281 § 4.]