Article 1. Supervision
12VAC5-421-50. Assignment of responsibility.
Article 1
Supervision
A. Except as specified in subsection B of this section, the permit holder shall be the person in charge or shall designate a person in charge and shall ensure that a person in charge is present at the food establishment during all hours of operation.Pf
B. In a food establishment with two or more separately permitted departments that are the legal responsibility of the same permit holder and that are located on the same premises, the permit holder may, during specific time periods when food is not being prepared, packaged, or served, designate a single person in charge who is present on the premises during all hours of operation, and who is responsible for each separately permitted food establishment on the premises.Pf
Statutory Authority
§§ 35.1-11 and 35.1-14 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 10, eff. March 1, 2002; amended, Virginia Register Volume 26, Issue 7, eff. January 1, 2010; Errata, 26:9 VA.R. 1316 January 4, 2009; amended, Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 22, eff. July 12, 2016.
12VAC5-421-55. Certified food protection manager.
A. At least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service shall be a certified food protection manager, demonstrating proficiency of required knowledge and information through passing a test that is part of an accredited program.
B. This section does not apply to food establishments that serve only non-time/temperature control for safety food and food establishments that store and prepare food only to the extent that they reheat or cold hold commercially processed, fully cooked time/temperature control for safety foods. Food establishments exempt from the certified food protection manager requirement may not cool time/temperature control for safety foods.
Statutory Authority
§§ 35.1-11 and 35.1-14 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 22, eff. July 12, 2016; amended, Virginia Register Volume 37, Issue 18, eff. June 10, 2021; Errata 37:23 VA.R. 3482 July 5, 2021; amended, Virginia Register Volume 39, Issue 5, eff. November 23, 2022.
12VAC5-421-60. Demonstration of knowledge.
Based on the risks of foodborne illness inherent to the food operation, during inspections and upon request the person in charge shall demonstrate to the department knowledge of foodborne disease prevention, and the requirements of this chapter. The person in charge shall demonstrate this knowledge by:
1. Complying with this chapter by having no violations of priority items during the current inspection;Pf
2. Being a certified food protection manager who has shown proficiency of required information through passing a test that is part of an accredited program;Pf or
3. Responding correctly to the environmental health specialist's questions as they relate to the specific food operation. The areas of operation may include:
a. Describing the relationship between the prevention of foodborne disease and the personal hygiene of a food employee;Pf
b. Explaining the responsibility of the person in charge for preventing the transmission of foodborne disease by a food employee who has a disease or medical condition that may cause foodborne disease;Pf
c. Describing the symptoms associated with the diseases that are transmissible through food;Pf
d. Explaining the significance of the relationship between maintaining the time and temperature of time/temperature control for safety food and the prevention of foodborne illness;Pf
e. Explaining the hazards involved in the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, and fish;Pf
f. Stating the required food temperatures and times for safe cooking of time/temperature control for safety food including meat, poultry, eggs, and fish;Pf
g. Stating the required temperatures and times for the safe refrigerated storage, hot holding, cooling, and reheating of time/temperature control for safety food;Pf
h. Describing the relationship between the prevention of foodborne illness and the management and control of the following:
(1) Cross contamination;Pf
(2) Hand contact with ready-to-eat foods;Pf
(3) Handwashing;Pf and
(4) Maintaining the food establishment in a clean condition and in good repair;Pf
i. Describing the foods identified as major food allergens and the symptoms that a major food allergen could cause in a sensitive individual who has an allergic reaction;Pf
j. Explaining the relationship between food safety and providing equipment that is:
(1) Sufficient in number and capacity;Pf and
(2) Properly designed, constructed, located, installed, operated, maintained, and cleaned;Pf
k. Explaining correct procedures for cleaning and sanitizing utensils and food-contact surfaces of equipment;Pf
l. Identifying the source of water used and measures taken to ensure that the water supply remains protected from contamination such as providing protection from backflow and precluding the creation of cross connections;Pf
m. Identifying poisonous or toxic materials in the food establishment and the procedures necessary to ensure that they are safely stored, dispensed, used, and disposed of according to law;Pf
n. Identifying critical control points in the operation from purchasing through sale or service that when not controlled may contribute to the transmission of foodborne illness and explaining steps taken to ensure that the points are controlled in accordance with the requirements of this chapter;Pf
o. Explaining the details of how the person in charge and food employees comply with a HACCP plan if such a plan is required by law, this chapter, or a an agreement between the department and the food establishment; Pf
p. Explaining the responsibilities, rights, and authorities assigned by this chapter to the:
(1) Food employee;Pf
(2) Conditional employee;Pf
(3) Person in charge;Pf and
(4) Department;Pf and
q. Explaining how the person in charge, food employees, and conditional employees comply with reporting responsibilities and the exclusion or restriction of food employees.Pf
Statutory Authority
§§ 35.1-11 and 35.1-14 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 10, eff. March 1, 2002; amended, Virginia Register Volume 26, Issue 7, eff. January 1, 2010; Volume 32, Issue 22, eff. July 12, 2016; Volume 37, Issue 18, eff. June 10, 2021.
12VAC5-421-65. Food protection manager certification.
A. A person in charge who demonstrates knowledge by being a food protection manager who is certified by a food protection manager certification program that is evaluated by a Conference for Food Protection-recognized accrediting agency as conforming to the Conference for Food Protection Standards for Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification Programs, April 2012, (Conference for Food Protection) is deemed to comply with subdivision 2 of 12VAC5-421-60.
B. A food establishment that has an employee who is certified by a food protection certification program that is evaluated and listed by a Conference for Food Protection-recognized accrediting agency as conforming to the Conference for Food Protection Standards for Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification Programs, April 2012, (Conference for Food Protection) is deemed to comply with 12VAC5-421-55.
Statutory Authority
§§ 35.1-11 and 35.1-14 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 22, eff. July 12, 2016.
12VAC5-421-70. Duties of person in charge.
The person in charge shall ensure that:
1. Food establishment operations are not conducted in a private home or in a room used as living or sleeping quarters as specified under 12VAC5-421-2990;Pf
2. Persons unnecessary to the food establishment operation are not allowed in the food preparation, food storage, or warewashing areas, except that brief visits and tours may be authorized by the person in charge if steps are taken to ensure that exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; and unwrapped single-service and single-use articles are protected from contamination;Pf
3. Employees and other persons such as delivery and maintenance persons and pesticide applicators entering the food preparation, food storage, and warewashing areas comply with this chapter;Pf
4. Employees are effectively cleaning their hands, by routinely monitoring the employees' handwashing;Pf
5. Employees are visibly observing foods as they are received to determine that they are from approved sources, delivered at the required temperatures, protected from contamination, unadulterated, and accurately presented, by routinely monitoring the employees' observations and periodically evaluating foods upon their receipt;Pf
6. Employees are verifying that foods delivered to the food establishment during non-operating hours are from approved sources and are placed into appropriate storage locations such that they are maintained at the required temperatures, protected from contamination, unadulterated, and accurately presented;Pf
7. Employees are properly cooking time/temperature control for safety food, being particularly careful in cooking those foods known to cause severe foodborne illness and death, such as eggs and comminuted meats, through daily oversight of the employees' routine monitoring of the cooking temperatures using appropriate temperature measuring devices properly scaled and calibrated as specified under 12VAC5-421-1180 and 12VAC5-421-1730 B;Pf
8. Employees are using proper methods to rapidly cool time/temperature control for safety food that is not held hot or is not for consumption within four hours, through daily oversight of the employees' routine monitoring of food temperatures during cooling;Pf
9. Employees are properly maintaining the temperatures of time/temperature control for safety food during hot and cold holding through daily oversight of the employees routine monitoring of food temperatures;Pf
10. Consumers who order raw or partially cooked ready-to-eat foods of animal origin are informed as specified under 12VAC5-421-930 that the food is not cooked sufficiently to ensure its safety;Pf
11. Employees are properly sanitizing cleaned multiuse equipment and utensils before they are reused, through routine monitoring of solution temperature and exposure time for hot water sanitizing, and chemical concentration, pH, temperature, and exposure time for chemical sanitizing;Pf
12. Consumers are notified that clean tableware is to be used when they return to self-service areas such as salad bars and buffets as specified in 12VAC5-421-590;Pf
13. Except when approval is obtained from the department as specified in 12VAC5-421-450 E, employees are preventing cross-contamination of ready-to-eat food with bare hands by properly using suitable utensils such as deli tissue, spatulas, tongs, single-use gloves, or dispensing equipment; Pf
14. Employees are properly trained in food safety, including food allergy awareness, as it relates to their assigned duties;Pf
15. Food employees and conditional employees are informed in a verifiable manner of their responsibility to report in accordance with law, to the person in charge, information about their health and activities as they relate to diseases that are transmissible through food, as specified under 12VAC5-421-80;Pf and
16. Written procedures and plans, where specified by this chapter and as developed by the food establishment, are maintained and implemented as required.Pf
Statutory Authority
§§ 35.1-11 and 35.1-14 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 10, eff. March 1, 2002; amended, Virginia Register Volume 26, Issue 7, eff. January 1, 2010; Volume 32, Issue 22, eff. July 12, 2016; Volume 37, Issue 18, eff. June 10, 2021.