§431.7. Processing and production records. — Inbound Citations

(d) Devices used to time applicable thermal processing operation functions or events, such as process schedule time, come-up time, and retort venting, must be accurate to assure that all such functions or events are achieved. Pocket watches and wrist watches are not considered acceptable timing devices. Analog and digital clocks are considered acceptable. If such clocks do not display seconds, all required timed functions or events must have at least a 1-minute safety factor over the specified thermal processing operation times. Temperature/time recording devices must correspond within 15 minutes to the time of the day recorded on written records required by § 431.7.

(a) Charts from temperature/time recording devices must be identified by production date, container code, processing vessel number or other designation, and other data as necessary to enable correlation with the records required in § 431.7. Each entry on a record must be made at the time the specific event occurs, and the recording individual must sign or initial each record form. No later than 1 working day after the actual process, the establishment must review all processing and production records to ensure completeness and to determine if all product received the process schedule. All records, including the temperature/time recorder charts and critical factor control records, must be signed or initialed and dated by the person conducting the review. All processing and production records required in this subpart must be made available to Program employees for review.

(A) (1) When retort jams or breakdowns occur during the processing operations, all containers must be given an emergency still process (developed per § 431.3(b)) before the retort is cooled or the retort must be cooled promptly and all containers removed and either reprocessed, repacked and reprocessed, or destroyed. Regardless of the procedure used, containers in the retort intake valve and in transfer valves between retort shells at the time of a jam or breakdown must be removed and either reprocessed, repacked and reprocessed and or destroyed. Product to be destroyed must be handled as “U.S. Inspected and Condemned,” as defined in § 301.2 of this chapter, or as “U.S. Condemned,” as defined in § 381.1(b) of this chapter, and disposed of in accordance with part 314 of this chapter or with § 381.95 of this chapter, as applicable.

(2) The time the retort reel stopped and the time the retort is used for an emergency still retort process must be noted on the temperature/time recording device and entered on the other production records required in § 431.7.