Runner's Landmark Food Safety Bill Is Signed Into Law

(SACRAMENTO) --- Senator George Runner's landmark food safety legislation was signed into law this week.  This new law will improve and update California's food safety code.  It is legislation that was been worked on for several years by industry and regulators and is based on the best available food safety science.

"This legislation streamlines the current law, makes it more user-friendly for businesses, and ensures a high level of food safety protection for consumers," said Runner. Senate Bill 144 is sponsored by the California Retail Food Safety Coalition that has worked on updating California's twenty-year old food safety codes for the last several years.  The coalition is comprised of the California Grocers Association, California Hotel Motel Association, California Retailers Association, California Restaurant Association, Western Fairs Association, and the California

Conference of Directors of Environmental Health, Health Officers Association of California, among others. When Governor Schwarzenegger signed the law this week, he sent a signing message that said, "SB 144 represents a multi-year effort by a coalition of stakeholders with over 100 representatives from the retail food industry, local regulatory agencies, the California Department of Education, the California Department of Health Services and the California Department of Aging.  Working together, this new law was crafted to ensure that consumers are protected when they eat at retail food facilities.  SB 144 will better protect consumers of California and I am pleased to sign this bill."

Member of the Coalition, Jot Condie, President and CEO of the California Restaurant Association said, "Food safety is a very high priority. SB 144 improves current law by providing the best retail food service, safety, and sanitation law possible. We are proud to continue our leadership in food safety issues by supporting SB 144."

California adopted in 1985 a comprehensive California Uniform Retail Food Facilities Law known as CURFFL.  CURFFL has become fragmented over time and does not accommodate new science and technologies that would ensure the best food safety.  Then, in 1993, an evaluation of CURFFL found that it was only 54% equivalent to the current available food safety science found in the Model Food Code.

  SB 144 will update these laws.