Connecticut State Department of Public Health

COVID-19 Community Levels Update, March 24, 2023: The CDC has listed all eight Connecticut counties in the Low/Green category as part of its weekly Community Levels update. People who are at a high risk for severe illness should consider additional measures to minimize their exposure to COVID-19 and respiratory illnesses. Visit the CDC COVID-19 Community Levels Map for updates.


Please visit covidtests.gov to request four free COVID-19 self-test kits from the Federal Government. Find a location that has a supply of COVID-19 therapeutics as part of the Test to Treat initiative here. The complete DPH COVID-19 toolbox is located at ct.gov/coronavirus.

Banner
 
Food Protection Program
 
 
Are you an Itinerant Food Vendor or Local Health Department looking for more details on the Reciprocal Licensing MOU? Click here

 

FDA Food Code Questions - The 2017 FDA Food Code will soon be adopted as the regulation for all retail food establishments in Connecticut. Click on the link for answers to questions that the Food Protection Program (FPP) has received from local health officials including certified food inspectors, directors of health, and those being trained as Food Inspector Training Officers who volunteered for the Self-Assessment/Quality Assurance Pilot Study.

More questions will be posted soon but the FPP encourages the use of the FDA Code and the annexes first as many of the answers are provided there.

Mission Statement

The Food Protection Program's overall mission is to reduce the risk of foodborne disease by ensuring reasonable protection from contaminated food and improving the sanitary condition of food establishments.  This is accomplished by enforcement of regulations, training and education, technical consultation, special investigations and food safety promotion.

The program currently consists of one Program Coordinator, one Environmental Sanitarian 2, one Epidemiologist 2, and one Health Program Assistant 2.

 

Key Functions

The Food Protection Program is responsible for fulfilling the following key functions and activities:

  • Promulgate new and update existing regulations
  • Provide regulatory interpretations of regulations
  • Train, certify and re-certify local food inspectors
  • Serve as technical advisor to local health officials, industry, other government agencies, media and the public on a wide range of food safety issues including inspections and enforcement
  • Monitor complaints of foodborne illness from the 64 local health jurisdictions and provide guidance on response
  • Investigate and/or assist local health departments in investigating foodborne disease outbreak and ensure that adequate controls are implemented to reduce the risk of additional illness
  • Coordinate with the DPH Epidemiology Program and Laboratory to ensure that timely and adequate environmental investigations are conducted during foodborne outbreaks
  • Develop and provide training to local food inspectors to maintain up to date knowledge of the field
  • Encourage local food inspection programs to conduct inspections based on the CDC risk factors for foodborne disease
  • Develop and provide training to local health departments and the food industry on food defense issues
 
Contact Information
 
CT Department of Public Health
410 Capitol Avenue
PO Box 340308
MS # 11 FDP
Hartford, CT 06134   
 
Tel: (860) 509-7297
Fax: (860)706-5854