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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 12. Health
Agency 5. Department of Health
Chapter 421. Food Regulations
9/13/2026

12VAC5-421-726. Manufacturer cooking instructions.

A. Commercially packaged food that bears a manufacturer's cooking instructions shall be cooked according to those instructions before being used in ready-to-eat foods or offered in unpackaged form for human consumption, unless the manufacturer’s instructions specify that the food may be consumed without cooking.P

B. Food for which the manufacturer has provided information that it has not been processed to control pathogens, when used in ready-to-eat foods or offered for human consumption, shall be cooked according to a time and temperature appropriate for the food.P

Statutory Authority

§§ 35.1-11 and 35.1-14 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 42, Issue 25, eff. September 10, 2026.

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