The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released the 2017 edition of the Food Code. The Food Code is a model regulation that provides all levels of government and industry with practical, science-based guidance and manageable provisions for reducing the known risks of foodborne illness.
The 2017 Food Code provides uniform standards for retail food safety, eliminates redundant processes for establishing food safety criteria, and establishes a more standardized approach in controlling food safety hazards within a retail environment.
Significant changes to the 2017 Food Code include the following:
- Revised requirement for the Person in Charge (PIC) to be a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) (Section 2-102.12)
- Added a new section that addresses the use of bandages, finger cots or finger stalls (Section 2-401.13)
- Harmonized cooking time/temperature parameters for intact and non-intact meat and poultry in accordance with guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) (Section 3-401.11)
- Updated procedures for retail food establishment operations to continue during an extended water or electrical outage if a written emergency operation plan has been pre-approved by the Regulatory Authority, immediate corrective action taken and the Regulatory Authority has been notified upon implementation of the plan (Section 8-404.11)
Questions regarding the adoption, implementation, and understanding of the Food Code can be directed to [email protected] or directly to a FDA Retail Food Specialist located across the country.
