The Food Code Gets a Boost at the 2018 Conference for Food Protection

Remco, as an industry support member, is proud to have sponsored and participated in the 2018 Conference for Food Protection (CFP) Biennial Meeting that took place from April 16-20 in Richmond, Virginia. The event was well-attended by over 360 members from industry, regulatory, academia, consumer and professional organizations, who mainly deliberated on the significant changes required in the U.S. FDA’s Food Code.

The Food Code is a guidance document that helps state, local, territorial, and tribal regulators to model their own food safety rules on a national policy basis, and also, to be able to provide scientific and technical basis for regulating the retail and food service industries such as restaurants, grocery stores, and nursing homes. The current 2017 Food Code version is available on FDA’s site at: https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/ucm595139.htm.

The following councils were formed, in which members collectively discussed the important Food Code and various committee issues.

Council I: Laws and Regulations – Some important issues discussed were on:

• Clean-in-Place (CIP)
• Biofilms
• Food Equipment Certification Standards
• HACCP Plan

Council II: Administration, Education, and Certification – Key issues deliberated were on:

• Employee Food Safety Training
• Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS)
• Food Allergens Training

Council III: Science and Technology – Important aspects covered were on:

• Safety of Mail-Order Foods
• Safe Cooking of Rotisserie Chicken
• Handwashing Compliance Requirements

The meeting also hosted regulatory officials from the FDA CFSAN (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition), USDA-FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service), and the CDC, who provided important food safety updates. There was also an interactive workshop study and a networking event at the Science Museum of Virginia included within the conference program. Overall, this event was a great opportunity for the food industry to understand and get involved in understanding and developing the policies and recommendations that strengthen our national food safety system.

The 2020 Biennial CFP conference venue will be at Denver, Colorado. More details are available at the CFP site: www.foodprotect.org.