San Marcos Municipal Code Art. VI Vending Machines

Operator means the person who furnishes, installs and services the vending machines.

No operator shall maintain, conduct, manage or operate any vending machine unless a permit for such machine has been issued by the Health Officer and unless such permit is valid and unexpired. The applicant for a permit shall designate in writing the products to be vended, and permits shall be valid only for those products listed on the permit. Unless it appears to the Health Officer that the vending machine will at all times be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, and that all products of the machine will reach the consumer in a clean and wholesome condition, he shall deny the application for the permit. If the permit is granted, the operator shall be responsible for the proper operation and maintenance of the vending machine and for complying with the requirements of this chapter and of State laws and regulations in connection therewith. The name and address of the operator shall be posted conspicuously on the vending machine.

The operator shall furnish the Health Officer with the location of any vending machine installed sufficiently so that, within 72 hours subsequent to such installation, the Health Officer may inspect the vending machine and the location. If the location of the machine is not approved by the Health Officer, the vending machine shall be removed immediately and not operated until the location thereof is rendered acceptable. Each vending machine shall be located so that sanitary facilities, fixtures and receptacles for emptying waste containers and for performing required sanitation are readily accessible. The area around the vending machine shall be maintained clean and free of accumulated paper cups and wrappers, spillage and other waste material and trash. Approved trash receptacles shall be provided by the machine operator, proximate to vending machines whenever required by the Health Officer.

No operator shall use a vehicle to service vending machines or allow such use, unless the Health Officer has issued a permit for such vehicle.

All operators shall establish within the County a service room or rooms, which shall be used only for cleaning, storing and maintaining vending machines, supplies and sanitized parts. All cleaning and sanitizing of vending machine parts which come in contact with food, food products or liquids dispensed by a vending machine shall be done in the service room previously approved by the Health Officer. The service room shall meet all the requirements of this chapter relative to food handling establishments.

Vending machines dispensing liquids shall be cleaned not less frequently than three times each week, and machines dispensing unwrapped, non-liquid food products shall be cleaned not less frequently than once each month, except as noted in this section, in the manner set forth below:

(a)

General. The following general regulations apply to all vending machines:

(1)

The operator shall clean the outside of the machine, and any vending stage, door, chute, drip plate and waste can.

(2)

Used cup and trash containers shall be emptied and cleaned.

(3)

Parts shall be wiped with a cleaned moist cloth which has been dipped in a solution containing not less than 200 parts of active chlorine per million parts, or in some such other approved sanitizing agent or material.

(b)

Cold Carbonated Beverages. In addition to the servicing required by the general regulations, machines dispensing cold carbonated beverages shall be serviced as follows:

(1)

Not less frequently than once each 60 days all contact parts of the machine shall be cleaned by removing, washing and disinfecting all tanks, valves, faucets, pipelines and water filters. Interior water filter and conditioning elements shall be taken to the service room for servicing; properly sanitized replacements may be transported under sanitary conditions from the service room and installed while the other water filter and conditioning elements are being serviced.

(2)

Water filters and water conditioning devices shall be of a type which permit periodic cleaning and replacement.

(c)

Milk Products. In addition to the servicing required by the general regulations, machines dispensing milk and milk products shall be serviced as follows:

(1)

Fluid milk or cream shall be removed from the machine and discarded daily, and fresh products added.

(2)

Canned evaporated milk may be dispensed for 72 hours before discarding; provided, that throughout this period the temperature of such milk is maintained at not more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

(3)

All parts and appurtenances of vending machines that come in contact with fluid milk or milk products shall be removed daily and cleaned and sanitized.

(4)

Vending machines that dispense non-liquid milk or non-liquid cream products shall be sanitized not less frequently than three times each week.

(d)

Refilling. Vending machines, location for which the Health Officer has not issued a food-handling establishments permit, shall be refilled only by substituting for the empty container one which was cleaned, sanitized and filled in the service room. The emptied container shall be transported to the service room for cleaning and sanitizing.