Introduction
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publishes the Food Code, a model that assists food control jurisdictions at all levels of government by providing them with a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the industry (restaurants and grocery stores and institutions such as nursing homes). Local, state, tribal, and federal regulators use the FDA Food Code as a model to develop or update their own food safety rules and to be consistent with national food regulatory policy.
The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) reported in June 2005, that 48 of 56 States and territories have adopted food codes patterned after one of the five versions of the Food Code (Code), beginning with the 1993 edition. As of October 1, 2000, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) adopted and incorporated by reference the federal 1999 Code into the State Sanitary Code Chapter X: Minimum Sanitation Standards for Food Establishments 105 CMR 590.000 (590). However, certain provisions of the 1999 Code were specifically stricken or modified for conformance with State statute or laws.
The adoption of the federal 1999 Code is the core of the regulation, so it is very important to understand the structure of the Code and how to read it. This module will provide a brief overview of the 1999 Code including its structure and conventions, as well as the underlying food safety principles built into its framework. Food safety inspectors charged with enforcement of 590 should be familiar with the content presented in this module.
Relevant Materials
Participants of this module should be equipped with a copy of the 1999 Food Code.
Objectives
- Explain the framework for the Code, including key interventions and risk factors
- Review the organization of the 1999 Food Code
- Become familiar with the various conventions of the Code
- Summarize the portion of the Code pertaining to Food Safety Provisions
- Explain the role of variances and HACCP principles in the Code
- Summarize the code revision process
