Title HSC, California Health & Safety Code

“Critical limit” means the maximum or minimum value to which a physical, biological, or chemical parameter must be controlled at a critical control point to minimize the risk that the identified food safety hazard may occur. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective Januar…

“Department” means the State Department of Public Health. (Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 483, Sec. 25. Effective January 1, 2008.)

“Easily cleanable” means a characteristic of a surface that allows effective removal of soil, food residue, or other organic or inorganic materials by normal cleaning methods. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of C…

“Easily movable” means either of the following: (a) Portable; mounted on casters, gliders, or rollers so as to be moveable by one person; or provided with a mechanical means to safely tilt or move a unit of equipment for cleaning. (b) Having no utility connection, a utility conne…

“Egg” means the shell egg of an avian species that includes chicken, duck, goose, guinea, quail, ratite, or turkey, except a balut and an egg product. “Egg” does not include the egg of a reptile species, including an alligator. (Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 571, Sec. 4. (SB 241) E…

“Employee” means the permitholder, person in charge, person having supervisory or management duties, person on the payroll, family member, volunteer, person performing work under contractual agreement, or other person working in a food facility. (Repealed and added by Stats. 2006…

“Enforcement agency” means the department or the local health agency having jurisdiction over the food facility. (Repealed and added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

“Enforcement officer” means the director, agents, or environmental health specialists appointed by the State Public Health Officer, and all local health officers, directors of environmental health, and their duly authorized registered environmental health specialists and environm…

(a) “Equipment” means an article that is used in the operation of a food facility, including, but not limited to, a freezer, grinder, hood, icemaker, meat block, mixer, oven, reach-in refrigerator, scale, food and utensil shelving and cabinets, sink, slicer, stove, table, tempera…

“Exclude” means to prevent a person from working as a food employee or entering a food facility except for those areas open to the general public. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

“FDA” means the United States Food and Drug Administration. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

“Farm stands” are premises, established in accordance with local ordinances and land use codes, defined under and operated pursuant to Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 47000) of Division 17 of the Food and Agricultural Code and regulations adopted and enforced pursuant to th…

“Fabric implement” means a cloth or fabric, including, but not limited to, burlap and cheesecloth, that is used as part of the food process and comes in direct contact with food that is subsequently cooked. (Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 571, Sec. 5. (SB 241) Effective October 11, 20…

(a) “Fish” means fresh or saltwater finfish, crustaceans, and other forms of aquatic life, other than birds or mammals, and all molluscan shellfish, if intended for human consumption. “Fish” also includes alligator, frog, aquatic turtle, jellyfish, sea cucumber, and sea urchin, a…

“Fishermen’s market” means a location that is operated by a commercial fisherman licensed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife or an entity representing two or more California-licensed commercial fishermen or California-licensed commercial fishermen and California-registered aq…

“Food” means a raw, cooked, or processed edible substance, ice, beverage, an ingredient used or intended for use or for sale in whole or in part for human consumption, and chewing gum. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Se…

“Food bank” means a surplus food collection and distribution system operated and established to assist in bringing donated food to nonprofit charitable organizations and individuals for the purposes of reducing hunger and supplying nutritional needs. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23…

“Food compartment” means an enclosed space, including, but not limited to, an air pot, blender, bulk dispensing system, covered chafing dish, and covered ice bin, with all of the following characteristics: (a) The space is defined by a physical barrier from the outside environmen…

“Food-contact surface” means either of the following: (a) A surface of equipment or a utensil with which food normally comes into contact. (b) A surface of equipment or a utensil from which food may drain, drip, or splash into a food or onto a surface normally in contact with foo…

“Food employee” means an employee working with food, food equipment or utensils, or food-contact surfaces. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

(a) “Food facility” means an operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption at the retail level, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) An operation where food is consumed on or off the premises, regardless of…

(a) “Food handler” means an individual who is involved in the preparation, storage, or service of food in a food facility, as defined in subdivision (b), other than an individual holding a valid food safety certificate issued pursuant to Section 113947.3 or an individual involved…

“Food preparation” means packaging, processing, assembling, portioning, or any operation that changes the form, flavor, or consistency of food, but does not include trimming of produce. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by S…

“Food safety program” means any city, county, or city and county program that requires, at a minimum, either of the following: (a) The training of one or more individuals, whether denominated as “owners,” “managers,” “handlers,” or otherwise, relating in any manner to food safety…

“Food handler program” means any city, county, or city and county program that requires that all or a substantial portion of the employees of a food facility who are involved in the preparation, storage, service, or handling of food products, engage in an approved food safety tra…

“Fresh frozen” means that the food was quickly frozen while still fresh, including immediately after the food had been harvested or fish had been caught. (Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 615, Sec. 5. (AB 226) Effective January 1, 2016.)

“Frozen food” means a food maintained at a temperature at which all moisture therein is in a solid state. (Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 571, Sec. 8. (SB 241) Effective October 11, 2009.)

(a) “Game animal” means an animal, the products of which are food, that is not classified as cattle, sheep, swine, goat, horse, mule, or other equine in Part 301 of Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as poultry in Part 381 of Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations, o…

“Gleaner” means a person who legally gathers remnants of an agricultural crop or harvests part of, or all of, an agricultural crop made available by the owner of the agricultural crop. (Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 580, Sec. 4. (AB 1990) Effective January 1, 2015.)

“Grade A standards” means the requirements of the United States Public Health Service/FDA “Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance” and “Grade A Condensed and Dry Milk Ordinance” with which certain fluid and dry milk and milk products comply. (Repealed and added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23…

“HACCP” means a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. (Repealed and added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

“HACCP plan” means a written document that complies with the requirements of Section 114419.1 and that delineates the formal procedures for following the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point principles developed by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for…

“Hazard” means a biological, chemical, or physical property that may cause an unacceptable public health risk. (Repealed and added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

“Hearing officer” means a local health officer, a director of environmental health, or his or her designee. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

“Hermetically sealed container” means a container that is designed and intended to be secure against the entry of micro-organisms and, in the case of low acid canned foods, to maintain the commercial sterility of its contents after processing. (Repealed and added by Stats. 2006, …

“Highly susceptible population” means a group of persons who are more likely than other people in the general population to experience foodborne disease because both of the following conditions exist: (a) The group is comprised of immunocompromised persons, preschool age children…

“Host facility” means a facility located in a brewery, winery, commercial building, or another location as approved by the local enforcement agency, that meets applicable requirements to support a catering operation that provides food directly to individual consumers for a limite…

“Hot dog” means a whole, cured, cooked sausage that is skinless or stuffed in a casing, that may be known as a frankfurter, frank, furter, wiener, red hot, vienna, bologna, garlic bologna, or knockwurst, and that may be served in a bun or roll. (Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 556, Sec…

“Imminent health hazard” means a significant threat or danger to health that is considered to exist when there is evidence sufficient to show that a product, practice, circumstance, or event creates a situation that can cause food infection, food intoxication, disease transmissio…

“Impound” means the legal control exercised by the enforcement officer over the use, sale, disposal, or removal of any food, equipment, or utensils. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

“Injected” means manipulating meat to which a solution has been introduced into its interior by processes that are referred to as “injecting,” “pinning,” or “stitch pumping.” (Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 195, Sec. 2. (SB 1067) Effective January 1, 2017.)

“Juice” means the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables, purees of the edible portions of one or more fruits or vegetables, or any concentrates of such liquid or puree. “Juice” includes juice as a beverage, an ingredient of a beverage, and a …

“Law” means applicable local, state, and federal statutes, regulations, and ordinances. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

(a) “Limited food preparation” means food preparation that is restricted to one or more of the following: (1) Heating, frying, baking, roasting, popping, shaving of ice, blending, steaming or boiling of hot dogs, or assembly of nonprepackaged food. (2) Dispensing and portioning o…

(a) “Limited service charitable feeding operation” means an operation for food service to a consumer solely for providing charity, that is conducted by a nonprofit charitable organization operating pursuant to Chapter 10.6 (commencing with Section 114333), and whose food service …

“Linens” means fabric items such as cloth hampers, cloth napkins, tablecloths, wiping cloths, and work garments, including cloth gloves. (Repealed and added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)