Industry Education
FDA and PA Food Code
The Pennsylvania Restaurant Association is dedicated to providing the most relevant information regarding current food safety policy and legislation to our membership and the restaurant and foodservice industry. We believe it is important for our members to understand the federal and state food code so that they can better comply with the rules and regulations put before them as a restauranteur in our state.
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. Local, state, and federal regulators use the FDA Food Code as a model to develop or update their own food safety regulations and to be consistent with national food regulatory policy.
Between 1993 and 2001, the Food Code was issued in its current format, every two years. With the support of the Conference for Food Protection, FDA decided to move to a four-year interval between complete Food Code revisions. The 2005 Food Code is the first full-edition to publish since the 2001 edition. During the 4-year interim period, a Food Code Supplement that updates, modifies, or clarifies certain provisions was made available.
The purpose of the PA Food Code is to safeguard public health and ensure that consumers are provided food that is safe, unadulterated and honestly presented. This guideline establishes definitions; sets standards for management and personnel, food operations and equipment and facilities; and provides for food facility plan review, licensing, registration, inspection and employee restriction. Some local health departments have developed a food code for their own jurisidications. Please be sure to check with your local health department to ensure compliance with local regulations.
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