There will be no major changes to the local food and beverage retail ordinance, but it will be adjusted to reflect changes to a state law that has been in place for many years, the Allen County Health Department board learned Monday.
The department’s executive committee unanimously approved amendments to the retail food and beverage ordinance at its quarterly meeting Monday. The ordinance will now go to the Allen County Commission for approval.
Changes to the ordinance include how violations are classified and language regarding food safety temperatures.
Health Commissioner Mindy Waldron said the changes reflect expected upcoming revisions to Indiana’s food code, which was last revised in 2004, she added.
“This bill will be passed this year,” Waldron said, “and in order to do that, we need to update all of the ordinances that relate to this bill and reference it, as well as some of the language that will be changed.”
Some of the new terminology will be difficult to learn, Waldron said, adding that the health department will have to change its software systems and food inspectors will need to undergo training.
But Waldron said learning the new language is the biggest change to the ordinance.
“Every two years, you see a little change,” she added, “but after 20 years, you see a big change.”
Steve Schumm, director of the health department’s bureau of food and consumer protection, said state regulations haven’t been updated since 2004, but local regulations have. Schumm said he doesn’t know when the last update was made, but said it was recently.
Some of the wording changes include changing major and non-major violations to priority, priority basis and core violations, which are consistent with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s definitions, Schumm said. Another change replaces the term “potentially hazardous food” with “time and temperature controls for safe food,” broadening the category, he said.
Schum said food inspectors from the health department will spend the first year educating local restaurants on the changes. The changes to the local ordinance will go into effect if approved by commissioners.
“We will ask questions and we will educate,” he said. “The FDA is encouraging us to focus on education rather than enforcement in the first year.”
