ALEXANDRIA Va. Cut leafy greens, the source of several foodborne illness outbreaks during the past decade, must now be handled in accordance with time-and-temperature guidelines, according to the latest version of the Food and Drug Administration's Food Code.
Also new to the 2009 version of the Food Code: Serving hamburgers and other ground meats in an undercooked form upon a consumer’s request is no longer an option for items offered on a children’s menu.
The FDA’s 2009 Food Code marks the first major revision since 2005 of that model code and reference document intended to provide a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating foodservice and the retail food industry. FDA officials said that the code is used by many agencies across many jurisdictions to regulate an estimated 1 million restaurants, retail food stores, and vending and foodservice operations in institutions such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes and child care centers.
“The FDA is spearheading an important initiative to improve the nation’s food safety system by establishing a fully integrated national system with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial regulatory agencies,” said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Food Code adoption and implementation in all jurisdictions are important for achieving uniform national food safety standards and for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of our nation’s food safety system.”
An online resource page for the revised food code can be found here. The code, in its entirety, can also be downloaded here.
The 2009 edition of the Food Code is the seventh full edition published by the FDA. The previous full edition was released in 2005 with a supplement published in 2007.
According to the FDA, “significant enhancements” in the latest edition include:
-Each provision in the FDA Food Code is now designated as a “Priority Item,” a “Priority Foundation Item,” or a “Core Item,” to assist the industry and regulatory community in prioritizing their food safety interventions and their inspections. These designations are based on a qualitative risk assessment and replace the use of “Critical” and “Non-Critical” designations in previous editions of the FDA Food Code.
-Related to the new time-and-temperature requirements for cut leafy greens, a new reference document, “Recommendations to Food Establishments for Serving or Selling Cut Leafy Greens,” is summarized in Annex 2.
-Requirements are added to improve food worker awareness of food allergen concerns in the foodservice and retail setting.
-A new definition and criteria are added for the non-continuous cooking of foods made with raw animal products to address the safety of this cooking method.
-Several requirements related to the effective cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and surfaces are enhanced or clarified.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture were consulted on changes in the latest edition of the FDA Food Code that affect their agencies, the FDA said.
Printed copies of the code can be ordered from: U.S. Department of Commerce, Technology Administration, National Technical Information Service, 5301 Shawnee Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. Refer to report number PB2009112613.
Contact Alan J. Liddle at [email protected]