CLARK COUNTY FOOD NEWS
July 2022
Dear Food Safety Partners,

Thank you for your efforts to safely provide food to the community throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to help support those efforts, please contact us with questions you may have about continued food safety practices. With this newsletter we hope to bring you program updates and helpful information, references and resources.

If you have missed any of the previous installments and would like to read more, please refer to our website where you can find the last 10 issues.
Washington State Retail Food Code Changes
Changes to retail food code (WAC 246-215) became effective March 1, 2022. The educational grace period for owners and food workers to become familiar with the changes ends very soon. Inspectors have been providing education during field inspection but, beginning September 1, 2022, inspectors will begin citing violations when non-compliance is observed.

Many resources are available for learning more about the code updates: 

 
Employee Illness Policy

Food establishments are responsible for informing employees of their requirement to report illness to the Person in Charge. To minimize the spread of illness through food, employees must report information about the type of symptoms, date of symptom onset, diagnosis, and exposure to illness. This Employee Health Template can be used to easily update your employee illness policy and provides more in-depth information on the new requirements. 


Refilling Reusable Consumer-Owned Containers

Food establishments can now allow customers to use personal clean containers to fill, refill, or reuse. To do this, an approved plan is necessary. If you'd like to allow the use of consumer-owned containers, you can use this Refilling Consumer-owned Containers Template to create your plan. 

Summer Refrigeration Tips
It's no secret that kitchens get hot, especially in summer months and especially if the kitchen doesn't have good air flow or an air conditioning unit. It's important to keep food cold and out of the danger zone. What can you do to keep refrigeration units working properly? Here is a list of best practices for keeping refrigeration units in good working condition:


  • Check food temperatures multiple times a day
  • Verify food is remaining at 41°F or lower with a thermometer. By checking frequently, you can identify problems quickly and make corrections.
  • Do not rely on a digital read-out
  • Always keep analog thermometers in unit. These thermometers are best placed in "warmer" areas of the unit and where food workers can easily see them. 
  • Do not overfill the unit
  • Overfilling can block air flow and lead to elevated food temperatures throughout the unit.

  • Keep food levels low
  • The farther away the food is from the source of cold air, the warmer the food will get. Keep food at the "fill line" or lower. This is especially important for foods that are hard to keep cold like cut leaf lettuce.

  • Keep prep top lids closed as much as you can
  • This helps keep cold air from escaping.
  • Add extra lids to individual inserts
  • Keeping a prep top lid closed isn't always an option, especially during a rush. Lids on individual inserts can be used to help keep foods cold.
  • Schedule routine maintenance
  • Have a refrigeration specialist complete routine maintenance. The age and condition of your unit may dictate the frequency in which this needs to be done.

  • Use an ice bath
  • If all else fails, the use of ice can be used as a temporary solution. Ice needs to be filled in a separate container and the ice needs to be filled up to at least the same level as the food. Placing a container of ice on top of food will not keep food cold.
Current COVID-19 Guidance

Free at Home COVID-19 Tests
Washington State Department of Health has launched access to at-home rapid tests. This statewide portal will allow COVID-19 tests to ship directly to households across the state. People can order up to 5 free tests per household. For more information please visit this website.

Masks
Masks are strongly encouraged in public places, however they are not required. Review this Labor and Industries webpage for current employee safety guidelines.

Quarantine and Isolation
Information can be found on the Clark County Public Health webpage

Vaccine Verification
Recommended but not required of customers and patrons. Separate requirements apply for employees & volunteers. Review L&I regulations.

Questions?

If you have an operational question or situation you'd like to discuss, press the "Contact your Food Inspector" button!

If you are interested in being more involved with Food Safety, join the Technical Advisory Committee. Contact Monika Sanders for more information.
To report an illness or file a complaint about food handling processes, click here.

Food worker cards can be obtained through foodworkercard.wa.gov.

For more information about the services we provide, please click the button to reach our Food Safety homepage.
Clark County Public Health
1601 E Fourth Plain, Building 17
Vancouver, WA 98661