States get a new model food code from FDA

Just in time for the January kick-off of states’ 2023 legislative seasons, FDA is out with the 2022 Food Code. It’s the 10th edition of the Food Code, which the FDA says is “a model for safeguarding public health and ensuring food is unadulterated and honestly presented when offered to the consumer.”

The Food and Drug Administration says the Food Code is the agency’s “best advice for a uniform system of provisions that address the safety and protection of food offered at retail and in food service.”

The 2022 edition is now available for adoption by local, state, and federal governmental jurisdictions for administration by the various departments, agencies, bureaus, divisions, and other units within each jurisdiction that have been delegated compliance responsibilities for food service, retail food stores, or food vending operations.

Alternatives that offer an equivalent level of public health protection to ensure that food at retail and food service is safe are recognized by the 2022 Food Code. It reflects the agency’s continued commitment to maintaining cooperative programs with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, according to FDA.

The 2022 edition reflects the input of regulatory officials, industry, academia, and consumers that participated in the 2020 biennial meeting of the Conference for Food Protection (CFP), which was held in 2021.

The FDA encourages its state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to adopt the latest version of the FDA Food Code. The benefits associated with the complete and widespread adoption of the 2022 Food Code as statutes, codes, and ordinances include:

• Reduction of the risk of foodborne illnesses within food establishments, thus protecting consumers and industry from potentially devastating health consequences and financial losses.
• Uniform standards for retail food safety reduce complexity and better ensure compliance.
• The elimination of redundant processes for establishing food safety criteria.
• The establishment of a more standardized approach to inspections and audits of food establishments.

Members of the FDA’s National Retail Food Team are available to assist regulatory officials, educators, and the industry in their efforts to adopt, implement, and understand the provisions of the FDA Food Code and the Retail Program Standards. Inquiries may be sent to re**********************@*****hs.gov or directly to a Retail Food Specialist located in one of the FDA’s three Retail Food Protection Branches across the country.

Food Code 2022 (PDF: 4.68MB)

Summary of Changes in the 2022 FDA Food Code

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News,  click here.)