Food Health and Safety Laws You Should Know

Details Around Food Health and Safety Laws in New Jersey

The Centers for Disease Control report that each year, approximately one in six individuals becomes sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 individuals die from foodborne diseases. In an effort to decrease the risk of these accidents, the state of New Jersey has passed a number of unique laws designed to decrease the risk that people become harmed by contaminated food. This article reviews some of the important regulations in New Jersey regarding food health and safety laws.

Agencies Tasked with Enforcing Food Healthy and Safety Laws

In addition to your local health department, which you should call if you know what food made you sick, there are several agencies in New Jersey that are responsible for regulating food safety, such as:

• New Jersey Communicable Disease Service: After eating contaminated food, there is a substantial risk that people will be diagnosed with everything from less serious to life-threatening illnesses. Outbreaks are known to occur when multiple people consume the same type of contaminated food. Some of the diseases that commonly reported to the Department of Communicable Disease include Cyclosporiasis, Hepatitis A, Listeriosis, Salmonellosis, and Vibriosis.

• New Jersey Public Health and Food Protection Program: The New Jersey Department of Health is responsible for regulating food as well as cosmetic and drug safety. Part of the Department of Health is the New Jersey Public Health and Food Protection Program, which works to make sure that foods are safe. Some of these programs include the retail food project, seafood, and shellfish project, the food defense and emergency preparedness project, and the food safety education and outreach.
• New Jersey Department of Agriculture: The New Jersey Department of Agriculture creates and upholds standards for grading produce as well as the safest handling practices. One subdivision of the Department of Agriculture is the Produce Safety Task Force, which helps to establish how New Jersey’s produce industry can best ensure food safety.

New Jersey Food Handling Regulation

The state of New Jersey requires workers who are in charge of handling food to demonstrate food safety experience as well as competency in safely handling food. The state, however, lacks a food safety training requirement for basic food workers. In response, some counties including Bergen county have created their own food safety requirements.

Baked Goods Laws

Unlike any other state in the country, New Jersey has a law that prohibits selling baked goods that were made at home. A person who is found to be selling this type of food risks fines that are as high as $1,000. The state’s main justification for this prohibition is to protect the health and safety of the public.   

Speak with an Experienced Food Illness Lawyer Today

If you or loved one is harmed by eating contaminated food, you should not hesitate to obtain the assistance of an experienced attorney who understands the laws that come into play in these situations. Contact Ferrara & Gable today to schedule a free case evaluation.