New Law Reduces Inspection Frequency

Union County, North Carolina sent this bulletin at 02/22/2024 02:00 PM EST

A food safety newsletter brought to you by
Union County Environmental Health

New Law Reduces Inspection Frequency In Food Establishments

As of Sept. 27, 2023, a new law changes how frequently certain food establishments are inspected. It reduces the inspection frequency for Risk Category 4 establishments to at least once every four-month period and adds an educational visit once per fiscal year. The educational visit will not result in the issuance of a new sanitation grade. Instead, it will involve a review and discussion with the establishment's operator on the following:

Any priority violations that occurred during three previous inspections.
The public health risk factors identified on the inspection report from the local health authority.
If applicable, any required Hazard Analysis Critical Control Plan.

During the permitting process, a food establishment receives an initial risk category from the local health authority. However, this category is subject to change based on observed practices and discussions during routine inspections. The risk category assignment is determined by reviewing the menu and discussing the establishment’s food processes with the operator. The operator’s answers to the following questions help determine how often an establishment must be inspected:

Does the food establishment cook and cool an unlimited number of hot foods that require time or temperature control for safety?
Does the food establishment cut, marinate or process raw animal foods?
Does the food establishment serve a highly susceptible population, such as long-term care facilities, schools with Pre-K programs, elderly nutrition sites or a hospital?
Does the food establishment perform specialized processes such as rice acidification, fermentation or reduced oxygen packaging?

A food establishment is assigned one of four risk categories:

Risk Category 1:

Only prepares non-Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) foods.
Example: A coffee shop that only serves bakery items and uses reusable plates, cups and eating utensils.

Risk Category 2:

Cooks and cools no more than two TCS foods that require time or temperature control for safety.
Raw animal food ingredients are received in ready-to-cook form.
Examples: A grocery store deli and produce departments.

Risk Category 3:

Cooks and cools no more than three TCS foods.
Raw animal food ingredients are not received in a ready-to-cook form.
Examples: A meat market; a mobile food unit that does not purchase raw animal foods in ready-to-cook form.

Risk Category 4:

Cooks and cools an unlimited number of TCS foods.
Food establishments serving highly susceptible populations (HSP).
Food establishments using specialized processes such as rice acidification, reduced oxygen packaging, fermentation, etc.
Examples: Nursing homes, a hospital kitchen, and a restaurant that prepares sushi rice on-site.

Food Protection Manager Course Offered in April

Union County Environmental Health will offer the Certified Food Protection Manager course this spring. This in-person class will be held Monday and Tuesday, April 22-23, 2024 at Union County Human Services located at 2330 Concord Ave., in Monroe.

The course will include:

In-person instruction with hands-on demonstrations.
Comprehensive manual.
Guidance documents and reference materials.
Thermometer and industry tools.
Proctored exam.
Spanish manual and exam are available upon request.

We understand workers in the food service industry have demanding schedules, so we designed this course to offer testing flexibility:

Option #1: Participants who want to complete the course in one day may take the exam after a full day of instruction on day one.

Option #2: Participants who want additional study time may choose to return on day two and take the exam after a review session.

Stay tuned for class registration and fee details.

Accredited Online Programs for Certified Food Protection Manager Training

Busy work schedules can prevent workers from attending in-person training classes. Many organizations are offering online food safety manager certification courses, but not all are accredited and approved.