12VAC5-421-3800: Periodic inspection

Food establishments shall be inspected by the department. Inspections of the food establishments shall be performed as often as necessary for the enforcement of this chapter in accordance with the following:

1. Except as specified in subdivisions 2 and 3 of this section, the department shall inspect a food establishment at least once every six months.

2. The department may increase the interval between inspections beyond six months if:

a. The food establishment is fully operating under an approved and validated HACCP plan as specified under 12VAC5-421-3595 and 12VAC5-421-3630;

b. The food establishment is assigned a less frequent inspection frequency based on an established risk-based inspection schedule uniformly applied throughout the Commonwealth and updated annually upon reissuance of the annual permit; or

c. The establishment's operation involves only coffee service and other unpackaged or prepackaged food that is not time/temperature control for safety food, such as carbonated beverages and snack food such as chips, nuts, popcorn, and pretzels.

3. The department shall inspect a temporary food establishment during its permit period, unless the department develops a written risk-based plan for adjusting the frequency of inspections of temporary food establishments that is uniformly applied throughout the Commonwealth.