This document outlines the various government agencies responsible for food safety and preventing foodborne illness, including the FDA, USDA, CDC, PHS, and state/local authorities. It also describes the inspection process for foodservice operations, including requirements for inspections, risk designations, inspection guidelines, reasons for closure, and benefits of self-inspections.

2. Government Agencies Responsible for Preventing Foodborne Illness
Government agencies:
 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
 U.S. Public Health Service (PHS)
 State and local regulatory authorities
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3. Government Agencies Responsible for Preventing Foodborne Illness
The FDA Food Code:
 Outlines federal recommendations for
food safety regulations for the foodservice
industry
 Created for city, county, state, and tribal
agencies
 Although FDA recommends adoption by
each state, it cannot require it
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4. Government Agencies Responsible for Preventing Foodborne Illness
State and local control:
 Regulatory authorities write or adopt food
codes that regulate retail and foodservice
operations
 Food codes differ widely by state or
locality
 In large cities the local regulatory
authority will probably be responsible for
enforcing requirements
 In smaller cities or rural areas, a county or
state regulatory authority may be
responsible for enforcement
 State and local health inspectors conduct
foodservice inspections in most states
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5. The Inspection Process
Foodservice inspections:
 Required for all operations
 Lets an operation know if it is meeting
minimum food safety standards
 Often based on the 5 CDC risk factors
and the FDA public-health interventions
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6. The Inspection Process
Risk designations for evaluating
facilities:
 Priority items
o Prevent, eliminate, or reduce hazards
(e.g., handwashing)
 Priority foundation items
o Support priority items (e.g., soap at a
handwashing station)
 Core items
o Relate to general sanitation, the facility,
equipment design, and general
maintenance, (e.g., keeping equipment
repaired)
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7. Steps in the Inspection Process
Inspection guidelines:
 Ask for Identification
 Cooperate with the inspector
 Take notes
 Keep the relationship professional
 Be prepared to provide requested records
 Discuss violations and time frames for
correction
 Act on all deficiencies noted in the report
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8. Closure
An inspector may close an operation
when there is:
 Significant lack of refrigeration
 Backup of sewage into the operation
 Emergency, such as a fire or flood
 Significant pest infestation
 Long interruption of electrical or water
service
 Clear evidence of a foodborne-illness
outbreak related to the operation
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9. Self-Inspections
The benefits of self-inspections:
 Safer food
 Improved food quality
 Cleaner environment for staff and
customers
 Higher inspection scores
When conducting a self inspection:
 Use the same type of checklist that the
regulatory authority uses
 Identify all risks to food safety
 After the inspection, meet with staff to
review problems
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