Tennessee Gets On Board

As of last July, Tennessee restaurant and grocery operators have been guided to the effectiveness of air curtains to ward off pests and airborne contaminants. This is part of the state’s new food safety-focused environment represented through the Tennessee Retail Food Safety Act (known as the Food Code) which went into effect July 1, 2015. It’s the first significant change in almost 30 years to how the state regulates and inspects retail food establishments (grocery stores and restaurants) and it gives owners and operators a good idea of what inspectors are looking for during routine inspections. Tennessee's new Food Code emphasizes prevention and partnership to prevent foodborne illnesses and joins other states that have put teeth into the issue of food supply safety, some of which even mandate the use of air curtains in food prep areas.