Washington Administrative Code

The person in charge shall ensure that a conditional employee who exhibits or reports symptoms or a diagnosed disease as described in WAC 246-215-02205(1) does not become a foodemployee until they meet the requirements for the removal of restriction or exclusion in WAC 246-215-02…

The person in charge shall notify the local health officer and the regulatory authority, if not the same agency, when a foodemployee is:(1) Jaundiced; or(2) Diagnosed with an illness due to a pathogen as specified under WAC 246-215-02205 (1)(c) and (2)(a).[Statutory Authority: RC…

Except as provided in WAC 246-215-02235, the person in charge of a foodestablishment shall exclude any foodemployee who is known to have:(1) Diarrhea or vomiting;(2) Jaundice;(3) A diagnosed infection (symptomatic or asymptomatic) with Salmonella Typhi, Shigella, shiga toxin-prod…

The person in charge of a foodestablishment shall restrict any foodemployee who is known to have:(1) A lesion that appears inflamed or contains pus and that is not covered;(2) Exposure to foodborne pathogens as described in WAC 246-215-02205 (2)(a) through (d) and works in a food…

The person in charge of a foodestablishment and all employees shall cooperate with the regulatory authority and the local health officer investigating:(1) A foodborne disease outbreak or a suspected foodborne disease outbreak; or(2) A foodemployee suspected to be infected with a …

A food employee with a symptom of gastrointestinal illness, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice, may work in a food establishment without special restriction, provided that the food employee furnishes written medical documentation from a health practitioner to the regulatory …

The person in charge of a foodestablishment and foodemployees shall comply with orders issued by the local health officer for excluding employees from a foodestablishment or restricting employee activities due to a diagnosed or suspected infection by a disease agent that can be t…

Except as specified under WAC 246-215-02250, the person in charge shall obtain approval from the local health officer before reinstating a foodemployee who was restricted or excluded based on measures the local health officer deems necessary using professional judgment, current s…

The person in charge shall adhere to the following conditions when reinstating a foodemployee who was restricted or excluded due to:(1) Diarrhea or vomiting: Remove exclusion when asymptomatic for more than twenty-four hours;(2) Jaundice: Remove exclusion with approval of the loc…

The person in charge of a facility that serves a highly susceptible population shall get approval from the local health officer and the regulatory authority before reinstating a food employee who was restricted due to any condition under WAC 246-215-02205(2).[Statutory Authority:…

foodemployees shall keep their hands and exposed portions of their arms clean.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-02300, filed 12/15/20, effective 3/1/22; WSR 13-03-109, § 246-215-02300, filed 1/17/13, effective 5/1/13.]

(1) Except as specified in subsection (4) of this section, foodemployees shall clean their hands and exposed portions of their arms, including surrogate prosthetic devices for hands or arms for at least 20 seconds, using a cleaning compound in a handwashing sink that is equipped …

foodemployees shall clean their hands and exposed portions of their arms as specified under WAC 246-215-02305 immediately before engaging in food preparation including working with exposed food, clean equipment and utensils, and unwrapped single-service and single-use articles an…

foodemployees shall clean their hands in a handwashing sink or approved automatic handwashing facility and may not clean their hands in a sink used for food preparation or warewashing, or in a service sink or a curbed cleaning facility used for the disposal of mop water and simil…

(1) A hand antiseptic used as a topical application, hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip, or a hand antiseptic soap must:(a) Comply with one of the following:(i) Be an approved drug that is listed in the FDA publication Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence …

(1) foodemployees shall keep their fingernails trimmed, filed, and maintained so the edges and surfaces are cleanable and not rough.(2) Unless wearing intact gloves in good repair, a foodemployee may not wear fingernail polish or artificial fingernails while preparing food.[Statu…

Except for a single ring or wedding ring set covered by a glove in good repair, food employees may not wear jewelry including medical information jewelry on their arms or hands while preparing food.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-02330,…

food employees shall wear clean outer clothing to prevent contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, and single-service and single-use articles.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-02335, filed 12/15/20, effective 3/1/22; WSR 13-03-…

(1) Except as specified in subsection (2) of this section, an employee may only eat, drink, or use any form of tobacco only in designated areas where exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; unwrapped single-service and single-use articles; or other items needing prot…

food employees experiencing persistent sneezing, coughing, or a runny nose that causes discharges from the eyes, nose, or mouth may not work with exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; or unwrapped single-service or single-use articles.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.2…

If a food employee working with exposed food uses an impermeable cover such as a bandage, finger cot or finger stall located on the wrist, hand or finger, the food employee shall cover the area with a single-use glove.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-1…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, food employees shall wear short hair or use hair restraints such as hats, hair coverings or nets, rubber bands, or hair clips to keep their hair off the face and behind their shoulders, and clothing that covers body hair t…

(1) Except as specified in subsection (2) of this section, food employees may not care for or handle animals that may be present such as patrol dogs, service animals, or pets that are allowed as specified under WAC 246-215-06570 (2)(b) through (e).(2) food employees with service …

(1) A food establishment shall have written procedures for employees to follow when responding to vomiting or diarrheal events that involve the discharge of vomitus or fecal matter onto surfaces in the food establishment.(2) The procedures shall address the specific actions emplo…

food must be safe, unadulterated, and, as specified under WAC 246-215-03605, honestly presented.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-03100, filed 12/15/20, effective 3/1/22; WSR 13-03-109, § 246-215-03100, filed 1/17/13, effective 5/1/13.]

(1) food must be obtained from sources that comply with law.(2) food prepared in a private home may not be used or offered for human consumption in a food establishment except as otherwise provided in this chapter.(3) packaged food must be labeled as specified under law, includin…

food in a hermetically sealed container must be obtained from a food processing plant that is regulated by the food regulatory agency that has jurisdiction over the plant.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-03205, filed 12/15/20, effective …

Fluid milk and milk products must be obtained from sources that comply with grade a standards as specified in law.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-03210, filed 12/15/20, effective 3/1/22; WSR 13-03-109, § 246-215-03210, filed 1/17/13, ef…

(1) fish that are received for sale or service must be:(a) Commercially and legally caught or harvested; or(b) approved for sale or service.(2) molluscan shellfish that are recreationally caught may not be received for sale or service.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20…

(1) molluscan shellfish must be obtained from sources according to law and the requirements specified in the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, FDA, National Shellfish Sanitation Program Guide for the Control of Molluscan Shellfish.(2) m…

(1) The permit holder shall obtain wild harvested mushrooms only from sources in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Montana, and British Columbia where each mushroom is individually identified in the fresh state.(2) Only the following wild harvested mushroom species may be of…

(1) If game animals are received for sale or service they must be:(a) Commercially raised for food and:(i) Raised, slaughtered, and processed under a voluntary inspection program that is conducted by the agency that has animal health jurisdiction; or(ii) Under a routine inspectio…

(1) Except as specified in subsections (2) through (4) of this section, refrigerated, time/temperature control for safety food must be at a temperature of 41°F (5°C) or below when received.(2) If a temperature other than 41°F (5°C) for a time/temperature control for safetyfood is…

food may not contain unapproved additives or additives that exceed the amounts specified in 21 C.F.R. 170-180 relating to food additives, generally recognized as safe or prior sanctioned substances that exceed amounts specified in 21 C.F.R. 181-186, substances that exceed amounts…

eggs must be received clean and sound and may not exceed the restricted egg tolerances for United States Consumer Grade B as specified in United States Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs, AMS 56.200 et seq., administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service of …

(1) egg products must be obtained pasteurized.(2) Fluid milk, fluid milk products, dry milk, and dry milk products must meet "Grade A pasteurized" milk standards of chapter 15.36 RCW, except "Grade A raw milk" products meeting standards of chapter 15.36 RCW may be sold in retail …

food packages must be in good condition and protect the integrity of the contents so that the food is not exposed to adulteration or potential contaminants.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-03255, filed 12/15/20, effective 3/1/22; WSR 13-…

Ice used as a food or a cooling medium must be made from drinking water.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-03260, filed 12/15/20, effective 3/1/22; WSR 13-03-109, § 246-215-03260, filed 1/17/13, effective 5/1/13.]

(1) Raw shucked shellfish must be obtained in nonreturnable packages which bear a legible label that identifies the:(a) Name, address, and certification number of the shucker, packer, or repacker of the molluscan shellfish; and(b) The "sell by" or "best if used by" date for packa…

(1) shellstock must be obtained in containers bearing legible source identification tags or labels that are affixed by the harvester or dealer that depurates, ships, or reships the shellstock, as specified in the National Shellfish Sanitation Program Guide for the Control of Moll…

When received by a foodestablishment, shellstock must be reasonably free of mud, dead shellfish, and shellfish with broken shells. Dead shellfish or shellstock with badly broken shells must be discarded.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-0…

Prepackaged juice must:(1) Be obtained from a processor with a HACCP system as specified in 21 C.F.R. Part 120 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control (HACCP) Systems; and(2) Be obtained pasteurized or otherwise treated to attain a 5-log reduction of the most resistant microorganism…

(1) Except as specified in subsections (2) through (5) of this section, molluscan shellfish may not be removed from the container in which they are received other than immediately before sale or preparation for service.(2) For display purposes, shellstock may be removed from the …

(1) Except as specified under subsection (3)(b) of this section, shellstock tags or labels must remain attached to the container in which the shellstock are received until the container is empty.(2) The date range when the first and last shellstock from the container is sold or s…

(1) food employees shall wash their hands as specified under WAC 246-215-02305.(2) Except when washing fruits and vegetables as specified under WAC 246-215-03318 or as specified in subsection (4) of this section, food employees may not contact exposed, ready-to-eatfood with their…

A food employee may not use a utensil more than once to taste food that is to be sold or served.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 43.20.145. WSR 21-01-122, § 246-215-03303, filed 12/15/20, effective 3/1/22; WSR 13-03-109, § 246-215-03303, filed 1/17/13, effective 5/1/13.]

(1) A food must be protected from cross contamination by:(a) Except as specified in (a)(iv) of this subsection, separating raw animal foods during storage, preparation, holding, and display from:(i) Raw ready-to-eat food including other raw animal food such as fish for sushi or m…

Except for containers holding food that can be readily and unmistakably recognized such as dry pasta, working containers holding food or food ingredients that are removed from their original packages for use in the food establishment, such as cooking oils, flour, herbs, potato fl…

Pasteurized eggs or egg products must be substituted for raw eggs in the preparation of foods such as Caesar salad, hollandaise or Bearnaise sauce, mayonnaise, meringue, eggnog, ice cream, and egg-fortified beverages that are not:(1) Cooked as specified under WAC 246-215-03400 (1…

(1) food must be protected from contamination that might result from the addition of, as specified under WAC 246-215-03240:(a) Unsafe or unapproved foodadditives or color additives; and(b) Unsafe or unapproved levels of approved food additives and color additives.(2) A foodemploy…