The Division of Food and Lead Risk Assessments is proposing to revise regulation 61-25. The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a new 2017 version of the FDA Food Code. Regulation 61-25 is currently based on the 2013 version of the FDA Food Code. It is the goal of the program to stay aligned with the most current version of the FDA Food Code and to incorporate those changes that are beneficial to promoting food safety in South Carolina. Based on the changes occurring in food industry business models, changes need to be made to sections of Chapter 9, for which there are no federal standards. To meet the agency’s strategic plan of improved customer service, we are proposing to combine the separate Retail Food Establishment Inspection Fee regulation into the Retail Food Establishment regulation to create one single regulation for Retail Food Establishments.
Please contact us at FoodForums@dhec.sc.gov or the Food Protection program at 803-896-0640 for more information.
Regulatory Information
- Regulation 61-25, Retail Food Establishments
- Public Health Reasons - This excerpt from the 2013 FDA Food Code explains the scientific rational for citations in Regulation 61-25.
Application & Permit
To file a Retail Food Establishment application, download and complete an Application & Permit Document (DHEC 1769) and submit it to any DHEC office along with the appropriate fee. If you have any questions, please call your local Environmental Affairs Office for assistance.
- Restaurant Sample Application
- Shared Use Kitchen Sample Application
- Mobile Food Sample Application
- Application & Permit Document - DHEC 1769
Supplemental Forms & Applications
Special Process & Variance Forms
- Construction/Equipment Variance Request
- Special Process Request - General
- Special Process Request - Sushi Rice
Print Your Own Signage
- Wash Your Hands (Bilingual)
- Hot Water Hand Dishwashing (Bilingual)
- Chemical Sanitizing Hand Dishwashing (Bilingual)
- Norovirus: Facts for Food Handlers (CDC)
- Ways to Prevent Foodborne Norovirus Outbreaks (CDC)
- Preventing Norovirus Outbreaks (CDC)
- Help Prevent the Spread of Norovirus & Clean-up and Disinfection for Norovirus (En, Sp, Fr)
- FDA Guidance Posters - This link contains 17 multi-lingual posters on a wide variety of food safety topics.
Guidance Tools
- Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook (FDA)
- Good Manufacturing Practices Guide - A guide for planning, constructing and equipping a retail food establishment.
- Training Resources (FDA) - This link contains 17 multi-lingual posters, three videos, and numerous other tools to educate your retail food establishment employees on a wide variety of food safety topics.
- Preventing Norovirus Infection (CDC) | Es - This link contains a variety of posters, videos and other resources on what norovirus is and how to prevent it's spread.
- Guide to Consumer Advisories
- NSF/ANSI Exempt Equipment
- Emergency Action Plan - This Conference for Food Protection document offers practical guidance for retail food establishments to plan and respond to emergency situations that could impact food safety and facility operations. There are sections on flooding, fires, and interruptions of service, as well as how to plan for and recover from a disaster.
- Water-Related Emergencies
- Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delis | Es - Brochure with useful information created by USDA.
Fact Sheets
- English | Chinese | Spanish
- Certified Food Protection Manager | Ch | Esp
- Date Marking | Ch | Esp
- Emergency Recovery: Power Outages | Ch | Esp
- Employee Health | Ch | Esp
- Freezing for Parasite Destruction | Ch | Esp
- Guide to Consumer Advisories | Ch | Esp
- Guide to HACCP Plans | Ch | Esp
- Mobile Food Establishments | Ch | Esp
- Molluscan Shellfish & Shellstock Information | Ch | Esp
- New Small Business Checklist | Ch | Esp
- No Bare-Hand Contact | Ch | Esp
- Permit Exemptions | Ch | Esp
- Proper Cooking and Reheating Temperatures | Ch | Esp
- Proper Cooling Temperatures | Ch | Esp
- Proper Holding Temperatures | Ch | Esp
- Recovering from a Flood | Ch | Esp
- Sushi Rice Guidelines | Ch | Esp | Jpn | Ko
- Temporary Food Service Establishments | Ch | Esp
- Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food | Ch | Esp
- Time as a Public Health Control Measure for Hot or Cold Food | Ch | Esp
Inspection Tools
- Marking Guide
- Pocket Marking Guide
- Citation Index
- Violation Index
- Inspection Report - 1722 A
- Documentation Report - 1722 B