---
kind: "section"
citation: "21 C.F.R. § 120.6"
title: "21"
number: "120.6"
heading: "Sanitation standard operating procedures."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/21/120.6"
---

# §120.6. Sanitation standard operating procedures.

- (a) **Sanitation controls.** Each processor shall have and implement a sanitation standard operating procedure (SSOP) that addresses sanitation conditions and practices before, during, and after processing. The SSOP shall address:
  - (1) Safety of the water that comes into contact with food or food contact surfaces or that is used in the manufacture of ice;
  - (2) Condition and cleanliness of food contact surfaces, including utensils, gloves, and outer garments;
  - (3) Prevention of cross contamination from insanitary objects to food, food packaging material, and other food contact surfaces, including utensils, gloves, and outer garments, and from raw product to processed product;
  - (4) Maintenance of hand washing, hand sanitizing, and toilet facilities;
  - (5) Protection of food, food packaging material, and food contact surfaces from adulteration with lubricants, fuel, pesticides, cleaning compounds, sanitizing agents, condensate, and other chemical, physical, and biological contaminants;
  - (6) Proper labeling, storage, and use of toxic compounds;
  - (7) Control of employee health conditions that could result in the microbiological contamination of food, food packaging materials, and food contact surfaces; and
  - (8) **Exclusion of pests from the food plant.**
- (b) **Monitoring.** The processor shall monitor the conditions and practices during processing with sufficient frequency to ensure, at a minimum, conformance with those conditions and practices specified in [part 110](/cfr/21/part110.md) of this chapter and in [subpart B of part 117](/cfr/21/part117-subpartB.md) of this chapter that are appropriate both to the plant and to the food being processed. Each processor shall correct, in a timely manner, those conditions and practices that are not met.
- (c) **Records.** Each processor shall maintain SSOP records that, at a minimum, document the monitoring and corrections prescribed by [paragraph (b)](#b) of this section. These records are subject to the recordkeeping requirements of [§ 120.12](/cfr/21/120.12.md).
- (d) **Relationship to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan.** Sanitation standard operating procedure controls may be included in the HACCP plan required under [§ 120.8(b)](/cfr/21/120.8.md?p=b). However, to the extent that they are implemented in accordance with this section, they need not be included in the HACCP plan.

## Notes

### Amendments

[66 FR 6197, Jan. 19, 2001, as amended at 80 FR 56167, Sept. 17, 2015]

### Authority

Authority: 21 U.S.C. 321, 342, 343, 346, 348, 371, 374, 379e, 381, 393; 42 U.S.C. 241, 242l, 264.

### Source

Source: 66 FR 6197, Jan. 19, 2001, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[66 FR 6197, Jan. 19, 2001, as amended at 80 FR 56167, Sept. 17, 2015]