Effective July 1, 2019 the State of WV Adopted the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) 2013 Food Code. On June 26th the Cabell-Huntington Board of Health adopted the 2013 Food Code at their June meeting. This mandatory adoption is a critical piece in remaining compliant with food and drink regulations.
The Cabell-Huntington Health Department Environmental section has received training to become familiar with the changes and updates. Local food establishments were notified July 1st by the Environmental Department to comply with the changes. Chief Sanitarian Rodney Melton and agency sanitarians are working closely with the local establishments as they transition with the changes.
A summary of terminology and code changes in the 2013 food code is posted on cabellhealth.org and a full copy can be found at the FDA website: https://www.fda.gov/food/fda-food-code/food-code-2013. The Cabell-Huntington Health Department diligently releases weekly food inspection reports. Below lists changes to the report.
Previous terms Critical and Non-Critical
- Critical Violations refer to potential health hazards — problems in a restaurant that could cause customers to get sick. For example, food not cooked to the proper temperature, or employees handling food with dirty hands.
- Non-Critical Violations are problems that do not directly affect a customer’s health. It could be as minor as a lack of tissue in the restroom or a light bulb that is burned out.
Priority and Priority foundation are new terms for a critical violation and Core is the new term reflective of Non-critical violations.
Violations are marked as Priority, Priority Foundation, and Core
- Priority – items with a quantifiable measure to show control of hazards such as cooking, reheating, cooling, handwashing. These items are associated with food borne illness
- Priority foundation – application supports, facilitates, or enables one or more of priority items- such as personnel training, necessary equipment, record keeping, and labeling
- Core – general sanitation, operating procedures, general maintenance
The new food code places emphasis on training and documentation. As an accredited health department, the Cabell-Huntington Health Department will continue to stay up to date with State and Federal regulations.
