FDA’s 2026 Food Code Adds Written Illness Policies and New Retail Cooling Rules

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released the 2026 Food Code, updating the model rules that state, local, tribal and territorial authorities use when regulating restaurants, grocery stores and other retail food establishments.

The Food Code is not automatically binding federal law for every restaurant or retailer. It is a model that jurisdictions can adopt or use when updating their own food-safety rules.

One of the most operational changes is a new requirement for written employee illness policies that are maintained and available, formalising how establishments manage workers who may pose a foodborne-disease risk.

The 2026 edition also creates an alternative cooling process for foods at retail and adds an exception allowing double gloving under specified circumstances.

Other revisions address sanitizer temperatures, allergen cross-contact, consumer advisories, food donations, specialty mushroom hazards, dehydration and freeze-drying and controls for vending machines.

FDA also revised definitions around food establishments and mobile food operations and updated the model inspection report used by regulators.

For operators, the practical impact will depend on adoption by the jurisdiction where they do business, meaning implementation dates and exact legal obligations can differ across states and localities.

The significance of the new code is its breadth: rather than one major prohibition, it updates a large set of everyday operating rules that influence employee practices, cooling, sanitation, allergen control and emerging food-service formats.