Regulations

The FDA Food Code and the PA Food Code are models for safeguarding public health and ensuring food is honestly presented, unadulterated, and safe for the consumer. Penn State Extension has a vast library of resources to help you comply with the codes. Topics covered include food service and retail regulations, preventive controls for human foods certification, cleaning and sanitizing procedures, and much more.

Understanding FDA Food Code and PA Food Code

The FDA Food Code regulates any entity that sells, manufactures, or provides food as part of their services. It provides a uniform standard for all food service and retail service providers. It is the ultimate authority with regard to questionable practices in the preparation or sale of food.

The code is reviewed and revised every four years in a joint effort by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). It was last reviewed in 2017 and a 2017 FDA Food Code Supplement was recommended at the 2018 Biennial Meeting of the Conference for Food Protection.

Pennsylvania food establishments are already starting to make changes, as the revised 2017 FDA Food Code has now been adopted and changes have been taking place since January 1, 2019.

One of the most significant changes is the requirement for food establishments to have a certified food protection manager on-site during operating hours. Starting this year (2020), all retail food service operators in Pennsylvania will need to train additional managers, to meet this requirement.

A new term was also introduced in the updated FDA Food Code. Intact Meat (a cut of whole muscle(s) meat that has not undergone comminution, injection, mechanical tenderization, or reconstruction, now has to be cooked in a specific way. Further changes have been made to cooking times and temperatures for a range of other types of meat, fish, and certain types of eggs.

Cross-contamination is an issue that has been further addressed in the revised food code. Separating raw animal foods during storage, preparation, holding, and display from unwashed fruits and vegetables, is a new requirement.

Preventive Controls for Human Food in Food Service and Retail

The FDA and PA Food Codes are not the only regulations food service and retail establishments need to be aware of. The Food Safety Modernization Act - Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule, requires food processors and some packing operations to establish and implement a safety system.

Penn State Extension’s Preventive Controls for Human Foods Certification Workshop provides certification to meet FDA requirements. The course covers the development of a Food Safety Plan and is suitable for Qualified Preventive Control individuals who will develop and implement hazard analysis and controls.

The FSMA also covers the transportation of food. The focus of the Sanitary Transportation rule is on preventing practices during transportation that could pose a risk to food safety. The rules are to protect foods from farm to table. An online Sanitary Transport of Human and Animal Food course is available. Topics covered include recognizing hazards, basic safety procedures, and how to implement best practices regarding documentation and company procedures. The course complies with the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act.

The safety of food is relevant throughout the supply chain, from harvest to point of sale and consumption. One popular way of selling produce is at farmers markets. It is the responsibility of producers and vendors to ensure food at these markets is safe and of the highest quality. A unique set of challenges face producers and vendors and the Farmers Market Food Safety workshop addresses these.