(Fay Observer) A slate of new rules for food handling and safety take effect Sept. 1, the result of the state’s adoption of federal standards.
Among the changes are a requirement that kitchen workers wear gloves when touching food, and restaurants will no longer get extra credit points on their sanitation ratings by taking classes.
But one rule that’s coming off the books should make some burger lovers happy: Customers will be able to order their beef cooked rare.
North Carolina has adopted the Food and Drug Administration’s 2009 Food Code, which means the state can now easily adopt the latest federal standards for handling and preparing food.
The state currently operates on the 1976 Food Code, which has been amended over the years. North Carolina was the last state to adopt a recent version of the code.
Last year, the General Assembly authorized adoption of the 2009 version. The N.C. Commission for Public Health approved the adoption in May, and the Rules Review Commission signed off on July 19, said Larry Michael, head of the Food Protection Program of the N.C. Division of Public Health.
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