Notice of Public Hearing to Solicit Comments

NASHVILLE – On Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014 at 10 a.m. the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and Tennessee Department of Health will hold a joint public hearing to gather input on the implementation of the 2009 FDA Food Code.

The purpose of this hearing is to receive public comment on the proposed rules, Chapter 0080-04-09 Retail Food Store Sanitation, prepared by the Consumer and Industry Services Division, Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

In 2013, the Tennessee General Assembly passed the Tennessee Retail Food Safety Act, the first significant update to how the state regulates and inspects retail food establishments in nearly 30 years. Commonly referred to as the Food Code, the Act goes into effect July 1, 2015.

Some of the most notable changes include risk-based inspections, new violation designations, an employee health policy and date marking to focus on the prevention of food-borne disease outbreaks. The rules are patterned on the model Food Code published by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. The adoption of the Food Code will bring Tennessee’s procedures for inspections and food safety in line with the rest of the nation. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is working with retailers to educate businesses prior to implementation.

When: Oct. 28, 2014, 10 a.m.
Where: Ellington Agricultural Center, Ed Jones Auditorium
              440 Hogan Rd.
              Nashville, TN
Contact: David Waddell, Consumer and Industry Services (615) 837-5331
or Mary Kennedy, Office of General Counsel, Tennessee Department of Health (615) 253-4878.

A copy of the rules and additional information may be obtained on the department’s webpage. http://tn.gov/agriculture/regulatory/foodcode.shtml