ABC Action News reports that beginning Jan. 1, 2013, Florida’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants is implementing the new 2009 Food Code from the 2001 version. The agency claims it will make the inspection process easier to understand.

It includes a new three-tiered safety and sanitation system of high priority, intermediate and basic violations. This replaces the current critical and non-critical violation system. 

“Either it was critical or non-critical but that put a lot of minor violations into the critical category,” said Chef Clyde Tanner. Tanner is the Academic Director at the Art Institute of Tampa’s Culinary School and he already teaches the new rules. He says they better evaluate a kitchen’s conditions. 
“The high priority items are critical violations that will most likely lead to a foodborne illness. The intermediate is for violations that could potentially lead, if not corrected. And the bottom tier is just for minor violations,” Tanner explained. 

The new 2009 Food Code will also prohibit serving raw or undercooked foods on a children’s menu and Tanner says that’s important as kids are more susceptible to pathogens. 
“This is just for their safety and it decreases the liabilities against restaurants and does protect our children,” Tanner said.