Supplement to the 2022 Food Code Released

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the Supplement to the 2022 Food Code. The Supplement updates the 2022 Food Code with recommendations made by regulatory officials, industry, academia, and consumers at the 2023 Biennial Meeting of the Conference for Food Protection.

The updated guidance builds on or expands retail food safety in several key areas, including:

  • Surface disinfection,
  • Container reuse,
  • Food defense measures,
  • Food Safety Management Systems and Active Managerial Control,
  • Testing requirements for reinstatement of food employees diagnosed with an illness from STEC, Shigella, or Nontyphoidal Salmonella, and
  • Sushi rice acidification.

The Food Code and its Supplement provide government and industry with practical, science-based controls for reducing the risk of foodborne illness in retail and foodservice establishments of all types. The Food Code and the Supplement are joint projects by the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The Food Code is the model for retail food regulations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. The FDA encourages its state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to adopt the current version of the FDA Food Code, including the Supplement to the 2022 Food Code. The agency’s Office of Retail Food Protection is available to assist regulatory officials, educators, and industry in their efforts to understand, adopt, and implement the FDA Food Code. Inquiries may be sent to: retailfoodprotectionteam@fda.hhs.gov or directly to a Retail Food Specialist.

The next complete revision of the Food Code will be published in 2026.

For additional information, visit Retail Food Protection.