In less than a month, Kentucky restaurants and other organizations in the food serving business will be required to abide by a revised state food code. A representative of retail food establishments believes more could be done to produce seamless regulation statewide.
The new food code, which state public health officials say aims to improve safety and health standards for food storage, preparation, and serving, goes into effect in July. Kentucky Restaurant Association President Stacy Roof said a new requirement to have the person in charge on site to be certified in food protection could create challenges, particularly in rural areas.
“It gives more rural health departments an incentive to offer than training that maybe they haven’t offered in the past, because a lot of people are going to have to be trained all over the state,” said Roof.
Roof said many restaurants are already meeting much in the new food code. She does favor statewide consistency in standards.
Fayette Health Department Environmental Supervisor Luke Mathias said food safety certification has been required in Lexington for years. While he says previous regulation focus has been on the actual eating establishment facilities, the new regs deal more with individual workers and food preparation and cooking.
“How is the food, from the raw product all the way until the food is prepared, what steps are being taken to protect the food and protect people from getting ill from the food,” noted Mathias.
Mathias said the new food code regulations pertain equally to food trucks and brick and mortar restaurants. Kentucky’s amended code follows national standards designed by the Food and Drug Administration.?
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