WASHINGTON—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week issued two documents to help retail food establishments prepare to reopen after being closed or partially closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two documents are designed to help businesses that prepare food to serve or sell to the public directly and protect employee and public health as they reopen for business.
First, a downloadable checklist can help retail food establishments to consider their business’ readiness to reopen after being closed by posing important questions related to food safety and COVID-mitigation efforts. Topic areas include:
- Facility operations
- Water, plumbing and ice
- Food contact and non-food contact surfaces (clean, disinfect, sanitize)
- Food temperature control
- Product inspection, rotation
- Dishwashing equipment
- Handwashing stations
- Employee health/screening
- Social distancing
Second, a companion infographic supports the checklist by emphasizing key practices that retail food establishments can implement and maintain as they reopen. The infographic can be displayed where employees can regularly access the information and will be available in Spanish and simplified Chinese in the coming weeks.
Coronavirus Resources
NACS has compiled resources to help the convenience retail community navigate the COVID-19 crisis. For news updates and guidance, visit our coronavirus resources page.