State announces update to restaurant food code, inspection process

In about three weeks, restaurant managers, cooks and servers are required to better understand food allergies and how certain foods can make their customers sick, according to the updated food code announced today by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

The 2009 Food Code goes into effect Jan. 1 for all restaurants and hotels in Florida. It’s supposed to improve the inspection process for restaurant operators by dividing violations into three categories with more explanations, and address new safety concerns, such as warnings for food allergens.

The state is currently using the 2001 Food Code, which is created by the Food and Drug Administration.

The federal food code is generally updated every four years, and the state department must at a minimum adopt every other version of the code.

One change to the code bans uncooked and undercooked items, such as medium-rare burgers, from children’s menus. Another change adds cut leafy greens and tomatoes to the list of potentially hazardous foods that need to be controlled time-wise and temperature-wise.

Not all changes are about tightening the restrictions or adding more safety steps.

Some items, such as commercially prepared deli salads and hard and semi-soft cheeses, no longer need to be labeled with a date, as they’re not shown to not pose a high risk for a specific type of foodborne illness bacteria called listeria monocytogenes.

The new descriptions of safety and sanitation violations will divide violations into three categories: High Priority, Intermediate and Basic.

“We believe [these changes] will make the inspection process more efficient and easier to understand,” said Sandi Copes Poreda, the state department’s communications director, in an email.

High Priority violations are those which could contribute directly to a foodborne illness or injury and include items such as cooking, reheating, cooling and hand-washing.

Intermediate violations are those which, if not addressed, could lead to risk factors that contribute to foodborne illness or injury. These violations include personnel training, documentation or record keeping and labeling.

Basic violations are those which are considered best practices to implement.

The department sent letters about the food code updates to each food service operator this week, Copes Poreda said. Also, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association is including this information in its upcoming e-newsletter to all of its members this week. And the department created online resources to help restaurateurs familiarize themselves with the new rules, including an educational video.

The Division of Hotels and Restaurants will work one-on-one with operators over the next inspection period to educate them about the new process, Copes Poreda said.

New technology will also improve the process, allowing inspectors to access the Food Code and other online resources during on-site inspections to make those resources directly available to the operators.

For more questions about the process, licensed operators in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades and Sarasota counties can visit the District 7 field office, which is in Suite 133 of the Joseph P. D’Allessandro Center, 2295 Victoria Ave., Fort Myers.