Code Revisions
The Code contains a section known as the Summary of Changes that provides an outline of the textual changes from the 1997 FDA Food Code Chapters and Annexes to the 1999 edition. Every updated version of the Code contains a summary of changes from the previous edition. The Code revision process is an all inclusive process and involves all stakeholders, including federal, state and local regulators, industry, academia, and consumer representatives.
FDA is issuing a new edition of the Food Code every 4 years. During the 4-year span of time between editions, FDA may issue supplements to an existing edition. Each new edition will incorporate the changes made in the supplement as well as any new revisions. While FDA receives concerns and recommendations for modification of the Food Code from any individual or organization, there is a particular interest in addressing problems identified by those in government and industry who are responsible for implementing the Food Code. FDA is especially responsive to those needed policy and technical changes raised by an organization that uses a democratic process for addressing problems and concerns. This includes organizations that provide a process to encourage representative participation in deliberations by government, industry, and academic and consumer interests, followed by public health ratification such as a state-by-state vote by officially designated delegates. Examples of such organizations include:
- the Conference for Food Protection for retail food issues
- the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments for milk and dairy products issues
- the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference for molluscan shellfish issues
These organizations receive problems submitted by any interested individual, but specify the forms on which the issues must be detailed and provide specific time frames during which they may be submitted. FDA encourages interested individuals to consider raising issues and suggesting solutions involving the federal-state cooperative programs based on FDA's model codes through these organizations.
Conference for Food Protection
While federal, state, and local governments are primarily responsible for setting food safety standards, there are many other organizations that share a stake in carrying out enforcement of the standards. The Conference for Food Protection (CFP) addresses this by bringing together representatives from the food industry, government, academia, and consumer organizations to identify and address emerging problems of food safety and to formulate recommendations. The CFP meets at least biennially to provide a forum for the consideration of ideas from any of the stakeholders. Although it has no formal regulatory authority, CFP is a powerful organization that greatly influences model laws and regulations among all government agencies.
The Code revision process begins when regulators, industry, or other stakeholders submit an issue that will be reviewed by the Councils. Separate committees in each discipline may be appointed to study and review issues and make recommendations to each Council at succeeding biennial meetings. The Councils then report out to the Voting Assembly where each state has one vote (which may be divided amongst several state agencies or voted by one agency). The CFP Recommendations are officially transmitted to FDA and the Agency responds as to areas of agreement or non-concurrence. Those positions may be further explored with the CFP Executive Board, but if FDA cannot agree with a Recommendation, it is not reflected in the Code. All accepted Recommendations are addressed in the next issue of the Code.
A few items in the Code are identified as "Reserved". This indicates an area of concern by FDA that was not supported by the CFP. However, it is maintained as reserved in the Code so that FDA can revisit the issue based on future information.
§5-203.15 was reserved in the 1999 Code.
As of the 2001 Code, §5-203.15 is no longer reserved.
