Continuing to work on my distillery plans. I'm 3 weeks away from signing a lease and still have some unanswered questions. FYI, I'm going to be making rum (sugar, molasses) and whiskey from malt extract, i.e....no grains and no mashing.
Question: are floor drains actually "required" by the FDA? I know many highly recommend floor drains, but I'm trying to set this up as clean of a facility as possible, and would rather not have floor drains that would a) harbor a place that could produce TCA, and b) cost a lot of money to install into a facility that I will be leasing.
That being said, the Current Good Manufacturing Practices state the following:
Section 117.20(3) Adequately draining areas that may contribute contamination to food by seepage, foot-borne filth, or providing a breeding place for pests.
Section 117.34(4) Provide adequate floor drainage in all areas where floors are subject to flooding-type cleaning or where normal operations release or discharge water or other liquid waste on the floor.
So, does anyone know if they are really required, or just a really good idea?
Cheers,
VB