October 16, 2015
UNITED STATES - The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has announced changes that will be made to the Food Rules and Regulations (511-6-1). Major changes include:
- “Incubator food service establishment” definition and requirements added
- Clarified that under-cooked comminuted meats may not be offered on a kids’ menu
- “Key Drop Deliveries” definition added to define methods of product delivery after normal business hours
- Low Temp. Dish Machine – Flow Pressure Device Not Required if Pumped Rinse
- Clarification of labeling requirements for food packaged at retail
- Struck subsection (i)1(i) that limited Mobile Food Service units (MFU) to two (2) locations only and replaced with requirements for the MFU operator to provide a list of the MFU vending locations to the Health Authority; MFUs must notify the Health Authority 7 days prior to change in location
- Added the new risk designation which utilizes a risk evaluation process to assign Chapter provision compliance priority as priority items, priority foundation items, and core items with conditions
- Reduced Oxygen Packaging (ROP) requirements were modified
- Allows refillable containers for time/temperature control for safety (TCS) and Non-TCS foods based on specifications and standard operating procedures to prevent cross-contamination
- Non-typhoidal Salmonella added to pathogens that prompt employee exclusion/restriction
- Provisional permits added to the types of permits that may be issued
- Revised “Imminent Health Hazard” by adding an option whereby facilities having a preapproved emergency operations plan may stay open during an emergency event
- Clarified that when gloves are used to handle food, hands must be washed and cleaned prior to donning gloves to initiate a new task
- Clarified outdoor barbeque use requirements
- Non-heated, forced air dryers added to hand drying provisions
- Revised subsection “Responsibilities of Permit Holder” by adding a requirement for mobile units with several locations to provide a current listing of food vending locations to the health authority
- Requires Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans to be reviewed by the local Environmental Health (EH) office and the State EH office to ensure compliance with the Chapter before implementation of a required HACCP plan
- Added requirement for irreversible registering temperature indicator for hot water mechanical ware-washing operation
- Clarified CEUs as maintenance for re-standardization of Environmental Health Specialists
- Clarified foods by which an expiration or use-by date prohibits use
- Added family style service and requirements
- Revised Food Safety Training by adding training on food allergy awareness for employees based on duties
- Catering definition, requirements added
- Changed Salmonella typhi to typhoid fever (caused by Salmonella typhi)
- “Time/temperature control for safety food” (TCS) replaces Potentially Hazardous Food definition; also added cut leafy greens as a TCS food
- Revised to require that at least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service be a Certified Food Safety Manager
- Added language that allows bare hand contact with ready-eat-foods (RTE) that are subsequently heat treated, separated and identified to eliminate commingling with RTE foods that will not be heat treated
- Added requirements for non-continuous cooking of raw animal foods
- Added allowance for cooling of RTE foods, such as soups, chili, sauces, etc., in the fruit and vegetable sink, provided the sink is cleaned and sanitized before and after use
- New language added to clarify food service equipment acceptability
- Code chapter changed from 290-5-14 to 511-6-1 as assigned to the Department of Public Health
The new rules are effective beginning November 1, 2015. Source