The Rhode Island Department of Health, along with other state health programs, now requires that restaurants employ at least one Certified Food Safety Manager and that all new restaurants have a Food Safety Plan. William Tribelli provides the required on-site Food Manager Certification Courses, as well as Food Safety Plan Development and Writing to bring your restaurant up to date with the current regulations.

Rhode Island Department of Health
Food Safety Program Elements

Purpose

Licensed food establishments must have food safety plans to ensure conformance with critical elements of the Food Code in order to be in compliance with Rhode Island rules and regulations. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to food service operators regarding the required elements of food safety plans for most facilities. Food safety plans must address the specific hazards associated with each unique facility. Some operations may have to control hazards that do not exist in other facilities. Therefore, there may be some elements listed in this document that are not applicable to all facility types. There may also be some hazards that are not addressed in this guidance document that require managerial control. Operators may develop food safety programs that meet the individual needs of their facility. In providing industry guidance, HEALTH does not intend to dictate how individual food safety plans must look or function.

Background

The Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Certification of Managers in Food Safety (R21-27-CFS, 5.0-f) state that it is the responsibility of the certified food safety manager to develop a plan for assessing, monitoring, and controlling foodborne disease hazards in the food establishment.

The Rhode Island Food Code (R21-27 Food) requires the submission of plans for all new, remodeled, or converted food establishments (8-201.12). Plans must include written standard operating procedures that ensure compliance with the Code and adequately address the following:

o The transmission of foodborne disease is prevented by managing ill food employees (2-201.11)

o Food is received from approved sources (3-201.11)

o Food is managed to ensure integrity from receipt to sale or service

o Potentially hazardous food is maintained in accordance with time and temperature requirements during all holding and preparation activities.

o Warewashing is effective and chemical sanitizers are at proper level of concentration.

o Records are maintained for shellstock and water as required in 5-205.13 and 3-203.11.

Plans must also include proposed program of training for the persons in charge and food employees

Once an establishment is licensed, the permit holder is required to comply with the provisions of the Code (8-304.11). The person in charge of the facility and the certified manager must demonstrate an adequate level of knowledge by identifying critical control points in the operation from purchasing through sale and explaining the steps taken to control those points to ensure compliance with the Code (2-102.11). The person in charge is also responsible for ensuring that employees are properly trained in accordance with their assigned duties and that operations are conducted in accordance with a food defense plan.

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