Restaurants must abide by new rules

Raleigh, N.C. — Starting September 1, new food safety rules will be implemented in North Carolina – the biggest changes to food safety regulations in 30 years.

County heath inspectors will still give grades to restaurants; however, the bonus points awarded for completing a food safety class are being done away with. Restaurants will now be required to have a certified food protection manager on site during all open hours. Mobile vendors, such as food trucks and street carts, will also have grade cards posted.

New regulations were also passed regarding food preparation. Workers will be required to wear gloves or handle food with tongs or paper in an effort to prevent the spread of diseases.

The current rule prohibiting undercooked meat has been overturned, and patrons will be able to order rare hamburgers and steaks. Restaurants will be allowed to serve undercooked or raw foods provided they warn customers that eating them can increase the chance of contracting a foodborne illness, such as salmonella.

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Solution in search of a problem.

aspenstreet1717
September 5, 2012 9:39 a.m.

NeilNBob, no worries. You'll get your food borne illness any time now. She's right about European food in general. Gloves are a non fix all. I'd much rather see a food handler wash their hands than don a pair of gloves any day. Also, a lot of restaurants are still using latex. If I see that, I have to leave. I cannot consume food that has been handled by latex. But in turn, say in about 10 years regardless of what the experts say, we'll see serious allergies to the nitrile gloves commonly used now. Its not a good law, agreed. They should stick with a general precautions stance of a required food borne illnesses, food storage and food prep class followed by continued good hand washing.

bitsyfae1
September 4, 2012 5:24 p.m.

Go live in Europe, Monca.

NeilNBob
September 4, 2012 4:40 p.m.

I've seen food preparation people wear gloves, go to the bathroom still wearing said gloves and then don't wash their hands presumably because they are wearing gloves. I think I would simply prefer basic education over additional rules.

kwilliams76
August 31, 2012 7:04 p.m.

I am certainly happy about the must wear gloves ruling- if I am in a fast food restaurant and I see the employees handling the food without gloves on, I leave-I don't care if I have just ordered, I will walk out before I will eat food that has been handled by bare hand. rachel

How silly! Have you ever been to Europe? Much better tasting and healthier food than we prepare and mostly all done with bare hands ( well washed of course). You see, there they respect food and respect dining. The Tapas bars in Barcelona could NEVER open in NC, We could NEVER have the food served in the markets of Paris, and I can only imagine what the health inspector would say about fresh sweetbreads from a cow slaughters just hours before immediately behind a restaurant in Turin, Italy. All of it better than we can ever have here. more beautiful, more tasty , and much more healthy than some nasty fast food that leads the USA to look like the porkers of the world.

Coretta Scott Thing
August 31, 2012 4:39 p.m.

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Restaurants must abide by new rules

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