FDA 1999 Food Code  




ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES


Food Safety


The CDC has idenfified common factors that are responsible for foodborne illness. These include:

  • Purchasing food from unsafe sources.
  • Failing to cook food adequately.
  • Holding food at improper temperatures.
  • Using contaminated equipment.
  • Poor personal hygiene.

    • A well designed food safety system will control all of these factors.



    Potential Hazards to Food Safety:
    Unsafe food usually results from contamination, which is the presence of harmful substances in the food. Some food safety hazards are introduced by humans or by the environment, and some occur naturally.



    Food safety hazards are divided into three categories:

  • Biological Hazards - include certain bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi, as well as certain plants, mushrooms, and fish that carry harmful toxins.
  • Chemical Hazards - include pesticides, food additives, preservatives, cleaning supplies, and toxic metals that leach from cookware and equipment.
  • Physical hazards - consists of foreign objects that accidentally get into the food, such as hair, dirt, metal staples, and broken glass, as well as naturally occurring objects, such as bones in fillets.




    • By far, biological hazards pose the greatest threat to food safety. Disease causing microorganisms are responsible for the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks.



    FDA Food Code:
    The Food Code is written by the FDA based upon input from the Conference for Food Protection (CFP). The Food Code lists the government's recommendations, which are intended to assist state health departments in developing regulations for a food service inspection program.



    Food and sanitation codes are written very broadly and generally cover the following areas:
  • Foodhandling and preparation - sources, receiving, storage, display, service, transportation.
  • Personnel - health, personal cleanliness, clothing, hygiene practices.
  • Equipment and utensils - materials, design, installation, storage.
  • Cleaning and sanitizing - facility, equipment.
  • Utilities and services - water, sewage, plumbing, restrooms, wasted disposal, integrated pest management.
  • Construction and maintenance - floors, walls, ceilings, lighting, ventilation, dressing rooms, locker areas, stroage areas.
  • Food service units - mobile, temporary.

  • Compliance procedures - food service inspections, enforcement actions.





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