On September 1, 2012 the State ofNorth Carolina adopted new food service regulations based on the 2009 FDA Food Code. These regulations are based on controlling the five major risk factors related to employee behaviors and preparation practices in retail and food service establishments as contributing to foodborne illness:
- Improper holding temperatures,
- Inadequate cooking, such as undercooking raw shell eggs,
- Contaminated equipment,
- Food from unsafe sources, and
- Poor personal hygiene
The Food Code addresses controls for risk factors and further establishes five key public health interventions to protect consumer health. These interventions are: demonstration of knowledge, employee health controls, controlling hands as a vehicle of contamination, time and temperature parameters for controlling pathogens, and the consumer advisory.
In the Appalachian District, Environmental Health staff have been working with food service operators to help them come into compliance with the new regulations which include the implementation of an employee health policy, certification of key managers and employees by an approved food safety course, use of gloves or other barriers to prevent bare-hand contact with ready to eat foods, date marking of regulated foods to prevent the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, and implementation of consumer advisories in relation to the consumption of raw or undercooked foods to name a few.
Below are links to the new regulations and handouts for operators outlining the major changes. Please contact the Environmental Health Specialist in your county for more information.
Rules Governing Food Protection and Sanitation of Food Establishments
Employee Health Policy Agreement