New Code Changes – Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department

COVID-19: Find your vaccine, testing options, current guidance and data. 
Información de COVID-19 en español.
Monkeypox (MPV): Find your vaccine, or more info about community spread and testing. 
Healthy Places » Food Safety » Existing Food Businesses
Revisions include changes from:
Sept. 1–Dec. 31. We have extended the education period for Date Marking and the Vomit and Diarrhea Clean-up Plan to help you adjust to the changes and provide additional tools. During this time, we will help you correct any food safety risks. We will not cite these 2 new violations and there will be no points for these 2 new violations until Jan. 1, 2023.
Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHF) is now Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) food. There is no change to the types of foods you need to keep hot or cold for safety:
Active Managerial Control helps correct and prevent food safety issues before an inspection. Managers create procedures, train employees, and monitor to keep food safe. The Person in Charge (PIC) ensures food workers follow food safety practices like:
Ready-to-eat, refrigerated TCS food kept for more than 24 hours must be date marked and used or frozen within 7 days. Date mark food prepared in-house or after opening the commercial package. Serve, freeze or discard food within 7 days after you open it.
You can date mark in many ways like written labels on the container or day dots. The system must track the expiration date of foods.
Helpful tools: Date marking infographic, also available in Kmher, Korean, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukranian and Vietnamese.
You need written procedures to safely clean up any vomit and diarrhea spills. Food workers must know and follow these procedures to keep germs from spreading to people, equipment, or food. Your plan must include:
Helpful tools: Vomit and Diarrhea Clean-up Plan template.
The PIC must train workers on when not to work if they feel sick. Workers must know to stay home and report their illness to the PIC when they have:
Beginning March 2023, you need access to a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM). The CFPM does not always need to be present. But, a copy of a valid certificate must be available during inspection. The CFPM makes sure each PIC is trained and able to control food safety in the establishment. You must take ANSI-accredited training to become a CFPM.
Write both the first and last dates of service on shellstock tags. Keep them in an organized system for at least 90 days after the shellfish sells out.
The previous rule did not include the first date of service on the tag.
If fresh finfish is on your approved menu, you can serve it partially cooked when a customer requests it. Like fresh-caught salmon or halibut. You must include an updated consumer advisory on all menus.
Note: Fresh fish served raw must still have proper parasite destruction.
Cook the following to 158°F:
Exception: If you want to continue cooking to 155°F, you must have a plan approved by the Health Department. The cooking process must hold these foods at 155°F for at least 17 seconds.
The previous rule required cooking ground meats to 155°F and holding for 15 seconds.
You may allow pet dogs:
Note: Working service animals (a dog or in some cases a miniature horse) are not the same as pets. They train to do a task for a person with a disability. They can go in any customer areas within a food establishment.
The previous rule did not allow pets in food establishments.
You may allow refills in customer’s containers. Create a written plan and submit it for Health Department approval.
The previous rule did not allow you to refill most consumer-owned containers.
All permitted food establishments must connect to public water and sanitary sewer or septic. This change doesn’t affect mobile food units that move daily.
With a variance you can operate with a limited menu, such as coffee or commercially made foods.
You must use a commissary to support the operations of the food establishment, like:
Ask your inspector or contact [email protected] or (253) 649-1417.
3629 S. D St.
Tacoma, WA 98418-6813
Website Design by Granicus – Connecting People and Government

source