Decoding the Food Code

This training module was designed to help our stakeholders, including all levels of government and industry, understand the Food Code's structure, nomenclature, and conventions. The Food Code and this Decoding the Food Code: Information to Assist the User training module are resources for protecting public health and ensuring food is unadulterated and safe when it is offered to the consumer at retail and in food service establishments.

This training module fills gaps in knowledge and can empower local regulators and other stakeholders to interpret and utilize the Food Code better to prevent foodborne illness. Understanding how to read codified text, and finding applicable provisions and their accompanying annexes are some ways stakeholders can use the training module as an overall reference in navigating the Food Code.

Decoding the Food Code: Information to Assist the User aims to:

• Explain the chapter structure and its function in the Food Code
• Identify Chapter, Part, Sub-part, Section, Paragraph, and Sub-paragraph and how these delineations are used
• Describe the purpose of debitable and non-debitable provisions
• Summarize how the words “under” and “in” are used to create cross-references
• Explain how the Code’s presentation of requirements by principle rather than by subject makes the Code shorter and provides a logical sequence of topics.
• Demonstrate the meaning and use of italics.
• Define the three risk designations and demonstrate their use in prioritizing your inspectional work
• Define the terms “shall,” “may”, “may not”, and “means” and understand their action, provide examples.
• Identify what type of text alerts the reader to a defined term and describe the importance of definitions.
• Describe the importance of the Annexes and their topical content.

FDA 'Decoding the Food Code' CourseLinks to an external site.