What Should Be Included in a Food Safety Program?
How to Improve Food Safety Behaviors at Your Plant
How to Calculate Restaurant Food Waste
4,000+ COMPANIES RELY ON ASSET OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Your asset and equipment data doesn't belong in a silo. UpKeep makes it simple to see where everything stands, all in one place. That means less guesswork and more time to focus on what matters.
When it comes to food and safety laws, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code serves as a robust guide to the best practices within the industry.
A lot of the focus when opening a restaurant goes into the exciting details – building a menu, selecting a location, and setting up the floor plan and design. Food safety might not sound as thrilling, but it should be treated as a priority to ensure customer welfare and satisfaction.
Compliance with food and safety laws, usually set at the state level, aims to protect consumers against unsafe food products. These laws provide strict guidelines in the way food products are stored, prepared, and served to customers.
What is the FDA Food Code?
The FDA Food Code is a model used by local, state, or federal regulators to make applicable laws and standards within their jurisdiction. The Food Code provides scientific and legal basis for rules that aim to uphold the safety in the preparation of food served in restaurants, groceries, and the like. As of writing, the latest revision available is the 2017 Food Code.
Is the FDA Food Code a federal law?
The FDA Food Code in itself is not a federal law. However, it is commonly used as a guide for legislation.
What are examples of food and safety laws?
Common food and safety laws require establishments to adhere to a set of standards. These usually involve obtaining permits and licenses, or passing mandatory health inspections. Examples of these are:
Obtaining a Food Service License
This license is granted after health department officials confirm that food preparation and storage regulations are being met.
Obtaining a Food Handler Card
In California, the law requires individuals who prepare, store, or serve food to undergo food safety training and obtain a food handler card.
Mandatory Health Inspections
Common health inspection violations include improper food storage temperatures, poor kitchen sanitation, and cross-contamination between fresh produce and raw meat.
How can I ensure compliance with food and safety laws?
Many food safety laws are concerned with proper food handling and storage. Compliance with such laws requires reliable storage equipment such as refrigerators. Ensure your equipment's availability by improving your scheduling process with the use of maintenance checklists.
With the use of a CMMS system designed for restaurants, you can more conveniently keep track of the overall state of your facility. Maintenance activities and inventory movement data can be more easily accessible with a CMMS. This leads to broader visibility on the information required to achieve food safety standards.