Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
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2005 FOOD CODE UPDATE
Edited by: Stephanie Wallner, M.S., Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D, Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2006
The FDA Food Code is revised every 4 years to reflect any changes related to food safety pertinent to retail food operations and institutions. Significant changes to the 2005 Food Code are identified below.
Food Allergens. Information has been added regarding major food allergens consistent with the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA). Major food allergens have been defined as milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans; or a food ingredient that contains protein derived from one of these foods.
Date marking. 
Date marking practices have been amended for consistency with recommendations in the Listeria monocytogenes Risk Assessment. This is the practice of indicating the date or day by which a ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that requires time and temperature control for safety (TCS) should be consumed, sold, or discarded, a practice that helps prevent growth of Listeria monocytogenes. The 2005 Food Code now exempts deli salads (e.g., ham, chicken, egg, seafood, pasta, potato and macaroni) prepared and packaged in a food processing plant, because scientific data supports that these items contain sufficient acidity and preservatives to prevent the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. Also exempted are cultured dairy products and certain types of hard and semi-soft cheeses, because these products contain organic acids, preservatives, competing microorganisms, or have a pH, water activity or salt concentration that controls the growth of LM.1
Potentially hazardous foods. Two pH and water activity interaction tables were added to the definition of potentially hazardous foods and the definition of a potentially hazardous food was modified to be any "food that requires time/temperature control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation."
Juice. The definition for juice was amended to say that purees of fruits or vegetables, often prepared in health care facilities, that are not used as beverages or ingredients in beverages are not required to comply with HACCP requirements.
Employee Health. This section has more targeted criteria for reporting, restriction, exclusion and returning to work. Handwashing procedures have been amended to update the proper sequence for handwashing so that recontamination of the hands after handwashing is avoided, consistent with CSC's Hygienic Practice Guidelines for Health Care Workers.
For a complete Summary of Changes or Questions and Answers info on the 2005 Food Code, go to http://www.cfsan.fda.gov.
Sources:
- The 2005 FDA Food Code Questions and Answers at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc05-qa.html.
- Summary of Changes at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc05-sum.html.
