U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
Food and Drug Administration


FDA FOOD CODE

Introduction
Obtaining the 2001 Food Code
Obtaining the 1999 Food Code
Obtaining the 1997 Food Code


Introduction

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration publishes the Food Code, a model that assists food control jurisdictions at all levels of government by providing them with a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the industry. Local, state, tribal, and federal regulators use the FDA Food Code as a model to develop or update their own food safety rules and to be consistent with national food regulatory policy.

It also serves as a reference of best practices for the retail and food service industries (restaurants and grocery stores and institutions such as nursing homes) on how to prevent foodborne illness. Many of the over 1 million retail and food service establishments apply Food Code provisions to their own operations.

Between 1993 and 2001, the Food Code was issued in its current format, every two years. With the support of the Conference for Food Protection, FDA has decided to move to a four-year interval between complete Food Code revisions. The next complete revision of the Food Code will be published in 2005. During the 4-year interim period, a Food Code Supplement that updates, modifies, or clarifies certain provisions is being made available.

The changes contained in the Supplement reflect the current science and emerging food safety issues, and imminent health hazards related to food safety allowing the most current food safety provisions to be available for agencies planning to initiate rule-making activities prior to 2005. In addition, this Supplement gives other users of the Food Code -- such as educators, trainers, and the food service, retail food, and vending industries -- up-to-date information of how to best mitigate risk factors that contribute to foodborne illness.

This Supplement addresses recommendations made by the 2002 Conference for Food Protection with which the FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) concur. It carries the same weight as the Food Code.

Obtaining the 2001 Food Code

Obtaining the 1999 Food Code
Copies of the 1999 Food Code are available in the following formats:

Obtaining the 1997 Food Code
Copies of the 1997 Food Code are available in the following formats:



Status of Food Code Adoptions


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