Ice-Vending Units and Ice-Manufacturing Plants

Most people don't think of ice and water as food products and assume that, in this country, at least they are automatically safe. However, outbreaks of E. coli and norovirus (Norwalk-like virus) in 1987 and 1999 were attributed to contaminated ice. Thus it is important to ensure that Louisiana's ice is clean and free of pathogens. Presently, the department regulates ice-manufacturing plants and ice-vending units under the same set of administrative rules. More information on these requirements can be found at the above link.

This page is designed to provide information and guidance to those wishing to either open an ice-manufacturing plant within the state of Louisiana or operate an ice-vending unit within the state. Ice manufacturing is regulated by the Food and Drug Unit under the auspices of Chapter 13 of Part VI of Title 51 of the Louisiana Administrative Code.

In order to receive a Permit to Operate for a new ice-manufacturing facility, the applicant must provide the department with a detailed set of plans of the proposed facility, including plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and HVAC drawings, along with a plans review questionnaire. The plans must be submitted for review by the district sanitarian where the plant will be located. Additionally, a Certifcate of Registration must be obtained to distribute bagged ice. An artwork proof of the bag must be submitted to this office prior to submission of the registration packet.

In order to receive a Permit to Operate for a new ice-vending unit, the putative operator must first contact his/her district sanitarian to confirm that the make and model have been approved by the department for use in the state of Louisiana--if it does not appear on the most recent list of approved units below. If the unit has not yet been approved for use in the state, the manufacturer, distributor, or sales agent will have to submit the following information: detailed plan drawings of the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC (if applicable) specifications of the model(s), a cleaning and sanitization schedule, a routine maintenance schedule, and post-anomaly [flood, power loss, water-pressure loss, et cetera] cleanup procedures. Once these items have been reviewed and the unit has been added to the list, the manufacturer, distributor, or sales agent will be notified by letter, and the applicant should contact the district sanitarian regarding the specific permitting of his/her installation. Note that the unit operator will also require a Certificate of Registration if the unit dispenses bagged ice. An artwork proof of the bag must be submitted to this office prior to submission of the registration packet.

Note that any use of a water supply as a source for ice-vending or ice-manufacturing other than a public water system listed with the OPH Safe Drinking Water Program must be approved through Engineering Services. Please contact Engineering Services at 225-342-7499 for information on where and how to submit design summary packets.

Resources

• List of Currently-Approved Ice-Vending Units
• Guidelines for Cleaning of Ice-Manufacturing Equipment
• Ice-Manufacturing Regulations
• Plans Review Packet - a packet can be downloaded here under "Plans Packet for Ice Plants" or "Plans Packet for Ice-Vending Units"

Contact

For more info, contact the Food & Drug Program at 225-342-7533.