FDA 2022 Food Code Introduces New Requirements for Food Businesses, Global Food Safety Consultants Advises Business Owners to be Aware

LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Food business owners and managers should be aware of new FDA Food Code requirements found in the 2022 Food Code. An updated version is released every few years to help safeguard public health and ensure food safety; the most recent version was released in December of 2022 and amendments were added in early 2023.

Some key provisions in the 2022 Food Code include:

• Sesame has been added as a major food allergen, which affects labeling requirements. 
• Food manufacturers must now add it to the "Contains/may contain" section of the food label.
• Products that have already been shipped to stores are unaffected and may remain on shelves until sold.
• Restaurant owners or managers should know that commercially packaged food with manufacturer's cooking instructions must be cooked according to those instructions before it's used in ready-to-eat foods or offered in unpackaged form for human consumption.
• There is an exception if the packaging indicates the food can be consumed without cooking.
• Another provision affecting restaurants states that if the manufacturer indicates a product has not been processed to control pathogens, this product should be cooked to "an appropriate time and temperature." The restaurant has some leeway to make decisions about appropriate time and temperature but should do so very carefully.
• The new code also states that restaurants may donate unused food items as long as they have been "stored, prepared, packaged, displayed, and labeled according to Food Code safety provisions."

"These new rules help provide clarity for restaurant owners and managers while providing safer end products for consumers," says Lisa Nicely, co-founder of Global Food Safety Consultants(GFSC).

"It also allows restaurants to reduce food waste and help others by providing guidelines for food donations. Restaurants were not prohibited from donating unused food before, but without specific guidelines, many restaurant owners were reluctant to do so because of legal concerns."

For more information about the new Food Code or assistance implementing the new provisions in your food business, please contact GFSC for a free 30 minute consultation.

For more information contact:

Lisa Nicely, Global Food Safety Consultants (Partner)
lisa@globalfoodsafetyconsultants.com 

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SOURCE Global Food Safety Consultants