Food Safety
Food Safety regulations protect the health of Utah citizens and visitors by preventing exposure to harmful levels of environmental agents of disease and injury that may be found in food. Activities include identifying deficiencies in the food service delivery systems; collecting and evaluating surveillance data on diseases associated with poor sanitation; training local health department and industry professionals; writing and interpreting state food safety standards; and creating partnerships with local health departments and industry to enhance food safety and protect the public.
Food-borne illnesses continue to be a public health concern in Utah. Utah’s local health departments are responsible to inspect food service businesses in Utah and to respond to food-borne illness complaints or outbreaks. The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) provides training and support to the local health departments. In addition, UDOH oversees and administers rules and policies that provide regulatory standards of operation for food safety and authority for local health departments to enforce those standards. The UDOH conducted an analysis of data from retail food inspections conducted in 2016 by local inspectors. This analysis was done through a cooperative agreement with the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) administering a grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)