The US Food and Drug Administration has published a revised version of its Food Code as part of its bid to tighten food safety in the country.
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The code has been set out to serve as a guide to state, city, county, tribal and territorial agencies who regulate over 1m food retailers, restaurants and establishments that serve food.
It also is designed to provide “practical”, “science-based” guidance and enforcement provisions, the FDA claims.
According to the FDA, it is a “key component” of President Barack Obama’s public health focused food safety framework.
“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.
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By GlobalData“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.”
The latest Food Code includes a number of revisions, such as new regulations for cut leafy greens, which have been linked to a number of large-scale salmonella outbreaks. Cut leafy greens will now require temperature and time controls, the FDA said.
In addition, the FDA revealed that each provision in the Code is now designated as a “priority item” to aide the industry and regulators in prioritising food safety interventions and inspections.
