LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 972, as amended, Gonzalez. California Retail Food Code.
(1) Existing law, the California Retail Food Code (the code), establishes uniform health and sanitation standards for, and provides for regulation by the State Department of Public Health of, retail food facilities and requires local health agencies to enforce these provisions. Existing law, for purposes of the code, defines a “cottage food operation” as an enterprise that has no more than a specified amount in gross annual sales, is operated by a cottage food operator, and has no more than 1 full-time employee within the registered or permitted area of a private home where the food products are prepared and packaged.
This bill would make various changes to the cottage food operation requirements, including authorizing sales at a compact mobile food facility, exempting those transactions from the amount used to calculate the annual gross sales restrictions, and authorizing the sale of the cottage food product at a mobile food facility owned by the cottage food operator.
(2) The code defines “limited food preparation” as food preparation that is restricted to specified activities, including dispensing or portioning of nonpotentially hazardous food, slicing and chopping of food on a heated cooking surface during the cooking process, and holding, portioning, and dispensing foods that are prepared at a satellite food service or catering operation.
This bill would include in the definition of “limited food preparation” dispensing and portioning for immediate service to a customer a food that has been temperature controlled until immediately prior to portioning or dispensing, slicing and chopping of nonpotentially hazardous food or produce that has been washed at an approved facility, hot and cold holding of food previously prepared at an approved permanent food facility, and reheating of food that has been previously prepared at an approved permanent food facility and held at the approved temperatures.
(3) The code defines “mobile food facility” and regulates what types of food may be provided at a mobile food facility. The code requires mobile food facilities to meet specified health and safety standards, including access to warewashing sinks, restrooms, and handwashing facilities and required quantities of potable water.
Reynaldo Mena
SB 972, as amended, Allen. Sidewalk vendors.
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