Changes to the Washington Food Code
Active Managerial Control:
What is Active Managerial Control (AMC)? AMC is the purposeful use of specific policies and procedures in a food establishment to control foodborne illness risk factors. This is a preventive approach to food safety, rather than a reactive approach through a continuous system of training, monitoring, and verification.
Proactive managers should incorporate three key components into their food safety management system to ensure control of foodborne illness risk factors:
1. Policies and Procedures:
Policies and procedures set expectations for staff. The policy must also have a procedure that details the steps required to ensure the policy is followed.
EXAMPLE: Cold Holding Policy: cold foods must be maintained at 41F or below. The accompanying procedure would describe how temperatures will be monitored and the corrective actions staff should take when improper temperatures are identified.
2. Training:
Staff must be trained to understand and correctly implement their job tasks.
EXAMPLE: Staff are trained to use thermometers to monitor food temperatures and to take corrective actions when cold food is found above 41F.
3. Monitoring and Verification:
The person in charge or manager is actively involved in monitoring food safety risks and verifying that staff are correctly following policies and procedures.
Public Health Reasons: A food establishment with active managerial control and a food safety system that has fully established policies, procedures, training, monitoring, and verification will be better equipped to control the leading causes of food borne disease.
