Purpose
- CDC, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), has developed food safety guidance specifically adapted for correctional settings.
- Consider these Model Practices to improve food safety in your facilities.
Background
As of 2022, roughly 1.9 million people were incarcerated or detained within federal, state, tribal, local, and territorial facilities in the United States.
A recent analysis from CDC identified that incarcerated and detained people were six times more likely to have an illness associated with a foodborne outbreak compared to the public.
Many of the outbreak investigations in correctional settings identified recurring issues, like lack of time and temperature control, which speak to lapses in basic food safety operational control.
The FDA Food Code is a model code that provides state, tribal, local, and territorial governmental bodies with a technical and legal basis for the regulation of restaurants and retail food establishments. While the FDA Food Code recommendations are applicable for correctional facilities, they are not specifically tailored to the unique aspects of food safety in correctional environments.
This guidance was adapted based on the FDA's Food Code and outlines best practices for correctional facilities of all sizes, providing tailored recommendations relating to operations, training, management of riskier foods, and recommended cooking and serving. It includes templates and links to resources for supporting food safety practices in correctional facilities.
How to use the guidance
This guidance is intended to support correctional administrators and food managers in federal, state, tribal, local, and territorial correctional facilities to improve safe food service operations. It is not intended to serve as a legal or regulatory framework.
Suggested citation
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Model Food Safety Practices for Correctional Facilities. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024; https://www.cdc.gov/correctional-health/publications/food-safety.html