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NAMA Secures Micromarket Language Clarification In US Food Code

WASHINGTON, DC-- The National Automatic Merchandising Association reports that it has capped a year of successful advocacy by securing language in the federal food code that clarifies the definition and treatment of micromarkets by state and local health officials. In the Supplement to the 2017 Food Code , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows food establishments, in certain limited circumstances, to operate without a person in charge. FDA instructs regulatory bodies to take into account su...

December 30, 2019 by Tim Sanford

WASHINGTON, DC -- The National Automatic Merchandising Association reports that it has capped a year of successful advocacy by securing language in the federal food code that clarifies the definition and treatment of micromarkets by state and local health officials.

In the Supplement to the 2017 Food Code, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows food establishments, in certain limited circumstances, to operate without a person in charge. FDA instructs regulatory bodies to take into account such characteristics as the types of food served or offered; public access to the food establishment; the cleaning frequency of equipment and food contact surfaces; surveillance operations; the types of hot and cold holding equipment; and contact information for the food establishment's management personnel.

Specifically, FDA directs regulatory agencies to review guidance issued by the Conference for Food Protection (CFP) that addresses unmanned food establishments. NAMA and the CFP developed this language in 2018. NAMA pointed out that its inclusion in the U.S. Food Code will make it easier to advocate for state and local adoption.

The Food Code is the model for retail food regulations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions. 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 2017 Food Code. Click here for a summary of that supplement.

NAMA director of federal and state affairs Mike Goscinski observed that the association and its affiliated state councils have been working proactively on micro­market definitions that provide for reasonable state and local registration fees. As a result of this industry advocacy, NAMA members in Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma have secured passage of legislation defining micromarkets in their states, saving operators hundreds of dollars a year in registration fees.

Questions may be directed to Goscinskj by emailing mgoscinski@namanow.org.

About Tim Sanford

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Tim Sanford is the retired, long-time editor of Vending Times.

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