2020 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 21a - Consumer Protection
Chapter 419b - Bakeries, Food Manufacturing Establishments and Food Warehouses
Section 21a-152. (Formerly Sec. 19-284) - Licensing requirements for bakeries, food warehouses and food manufacturing establishments. Exemptions. Regulations. License revocation. Certificate of approval.
(a) Each bakery, food warehouse and food manufacturing establishment shall be designed, constructed and operated as the Commissioner of Consumer Protection directs pursuant to sections 21a-151 to 21a-160, inclusive, and chapter 418. The provisions of this subsection requiring the commissioner to direct the design and construction of a food warehouse shall not be required for a food warehouse that was registered in good standing pursuant to section 21a-160 prior to October 1, 2019, provided the warehouse is in good repair so that stored food is properly protected and the premises is free of pests. Each bakery, food warehouse and food manufacturing establishment remains subject to the provisions of chapter 418.
(b) No person, firm or corporation shall operate a bakery, food warehouse or food manufacturing establishment with the intent of producing or storing products for human consumption without having obtained from said commissioner a license. Application for such license shall be made on forms, furnished by the commissioner, showing the name and address of such bakery, food warehouse or food manufacturing establishment. Bakeries shall show the number of persons engaged in the production of bread and pastry products, excluding porters, dishwashers, drivers, sales personnel and other employees not directly engaged in such production. The commissioner shall cause an inspection to be made of the premises described in the application and, if conditions are found satisfactory, such license shall be issued. No person, firm or corporation operating a bakery, food warehouse or any agent, servant or employee thereof, shall refuse, hinder or otherwise interfere with access by the commissioner or his authorized representative for the purpose of conducting an inspection. No person, firm or corporation shall (1) sell or distribute bread, cakes, doughnuts, crullers, pies, cookies, crackers, spaghetti, macaroni or other food products, including frozen or canned baked goods made in whole or in part of flour or meal produced in any bakery located within or beyond the boundaries of this state, (2) sell or distribute food produced in a food manufacturing establishment located within the boundaries of this state, or (3) store any food for wholesale distribution in a food warehouse, unless such bakery, food warehouse or food manufacturing establishment has obtained a license from said commissioner. Facilities licensed pursuant to chapter 417 as food vendors and frozen dessert vendors, and all facilities licensed pursuant to chapters 419a and 430 shall be exempt from such licensing requirement. The commissioner may promulgate regulations excepting out-of-state manufacturers of products, commonly known as cookies, crackers, brown bread or plum puddings in hermetically sealed containers and other similar products, from the license provisions of this section. Such license shall be valid for one year and a fee therefor shall be collected as follows: From a person, firm or corporation owning or conducting a bakery in which there are four persons or fewer engaged in the production of bread and pastry products, twenty dollars; in which there are not fewer than five nor more than nine persons so engaged, forty dollars; in which there are not fewer than ten nor more than twenty-four persons so engaged, one hundred dollars; in which there are not fewer than twenty-five nor more than ninety-nine persons so engaged, two hundred dollars; in which there are more than one hundred persons so engaged, two hundred fifty dollars. The fee for a food manufacturer license shall be twenty dollars annually. No prior inspection by the commissioner shall be necessary for a food warehouse registered under section 21a-160 prior to October 1, 2019, which is required to transfer its registration to a new license under the provisions of this subsection.
(c) A bakery, food warehouse or food manufacturer license may be revoked by said commissioner for violation of sections 21a-151 to 21a-160, inclusive, after a hearing conducted in accordance with chapter 54. In addition, a bakery or food manufacturer license may be summarily suspended pending a hearing if said commissioner has reason to believe that the public health, safety or welfare imperatively requires emergency action. Within ten days following the suspension order said commissioner shall cause to be held a hearing which shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of said chapter 54. Following said hearing said commissioner shall dissolve such suspension or order revocation of the bakery, food warehouse or food manufacturer license. Any person, firm or corporation whose license has been revoked may make application for a new license and said commissioner shall act on such application within thirty days of receipt. The costs of any inspections necessary to determine whether or not an applicant, whose license has been revoked, is entitled to have a new license granted shall be borne by the applicant at such rates as the commissioner may determine. Said commissioner may refuse to grant any bakery, food warehouse or food manufacturer license if he or she finds that the applicant has evidenced a pattern of noncompliance with the provisions of sections 21a-151 to 21a-160, inclusive. Prima facie evidence of a pattern of noncompliance shall be established if said commissioner shows that the applicant has had two or more bakery, food warehouse or food manufacturer licenses revoked.
(d) All vehicles used in the transportation of bakery or food warehouse products shall be kept in a sanitary condition and shall have the name and address of the bakery, or food warehouse owner, operator or distributor legibly printed on both sides. Each compartment in which unwrapped bakery or food warehouse products are transported shall be enclosed in a manner approved by the commissioner.
(e) The provisions of this section shall not prevent local health authorities from enforcing orders or regulations concerning the sanitary condition of bakeries.
(f) Any person who desires to obtain a license under the provisions of sections 21a-151 to 21a-160, inclusive, shall first obtain and present to the commissioner a certificate of approval of the location for which such license is desired. The certificate of approval shall be obtained from the zoning commission, planning and zoning commission or local authority of the town, city or borough in which the facility is located or is proposed to be located. A certificate of approval shall not be required in the case of the transfer of the last issued license from one person to another or in the case of a renewal of a license by the holder of the license. The commissioner shall not issue any license under the provisions of sections 21a-151 to 21a-160, inclusive, for which a certificate of approval is required until such certificate of approval is obtained by the license applicant. The provisions of this subsection requiring a certificate of approval from the zoning commission or other local authority shall not apply to any food warehouse that was registered in good standing pursuant to section 21a-160 prior to October 1, 2019.
(1949 Rev., S. 4005; 1949, S. 2110d; 1959, P.A. 389, S. 2; 412, S. 38, 42; P.A. 76-417, S. 1; P.A. 84-97, S. 1; P.A. 94-36, S. 28, 42; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 286; P.A. 12-95, S. 2; P.A. 14-126, S. 2; P.A. 19-177, S. 3.)
History: 1959 acts doubled license fees and replaced commissioner of food and drugs with commissioner of consumer protection; P.A. 76-417 prohibited production, packaging etc. of bakery products “under unsanitary conditions whereby they may be rendered unwholesome or otherwise injurious to health”, forbade interference with inspections, revised fee schedule so that $50 fee applies to bakeries with 10 to 24 bakers and imposed additional categories for $100 and $200 fees and rewrote provisions re grounds for license revocation, procedure for revocation and issuance of new license; Sec. 19-284 transferred to Sec. 21a-152 in 1983; P.A. 84-97 divided section into Subsecs., substituted “lavatory facilities” for “water closet”, specified the location of lavatory facilities, the height of bakery rooms and updated requirements re the material of which preparation rooms are constructed, allowed for the use of plastic refuse containers, required running water to be “under pressure”, and required the presence of a sink suitable for washing hands in preparation rooms; P.A. 94-36 amended Subsec. (b) to eliminate the reference to the “July first to June thirtieth” license year, effective January 1, 1995; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) to increase fees; P.A. 12-95 deleted former Subsec. (a) re bakery specifications, added new Subsec. (a) re food manufacturing establishment design, construction and operation, added provisions re food manufacturing establishments, Ch. 417, 419a and 430 exemptions and food manufacturer license fee in Subsec. (b), added references to food manufacturing establishments in Subsecs. (c) and (e) and added Subsec. (f) re certificate of approval, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 14-126 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “bakery and”, effective June 6, 2014; P.A. 19-177 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions re food warehouse and add reference to Sec. 21a-160, amended Subsec. (b) to add references to food warehouse, designate existing provisions re sale or distribution of certain foods as Subdivs. (1) and (2), add Subdiv. (3) re storing food for wholesale distribution in food warehouse and add provision re prior inspection for food warehouse registered under Sec. 21a-160, amended Subsec. (c) to add references to food warehouse and add references to Sec. 21a-160, amended Subsec. (d) to add references to food warehouse, amended Subsec. (e) to delete reference to food manufacturing establishments, amended Subsec. (f) to add references to Sec. 21a-160 and add provision re certificate of approval from zoning commission, and made technical changes.
