Georgia Food Code 511-6-1: 2025 Plain-English Summary

Know the rules before the inspector arrives.

Georgia adopts Rule 511-6-1—better known as the Georgia Food Code—to safeguard public health in every restaurant, food truck, school cafeteria, and grocery deli across the state. This guide translates the 300-page legal text into practical tasks. Click the Quick-Nav bar to jump between sections or scroll for a full walkthrough. Use it to brief new managers, prep for health inspections, and create SOPs that match 2025 requirements.

Georgia health inspector checks food temperatures in a commercial kitchen

Key Definitions You’ll Hear in Every Inspection

Memory aid: if food would spoil sitting on a picnic table, it’s probably TCS.

Critical Temperature Cheat-Sheet (Georgia & FDA)

Management & Personnel

Pro-Tip: Start each shift with a 60-sec “temperature huddle” where cooks call out fridge, hot-box, and sanitizer readings—inspectors love it.

Georgia Deviation: Rule 511-6-1 now mandates hands-free hand sinks in new or renovated facilities—Model Code only recommends them.

Food: From Receiving to Service

Pro-Tip: Keep a laminated “probe calibration” card next to each thermometer—inspectors often test your knowledge by asking for calibration steps.

Priority Violations (Immediate Fix Required)

Equipment & Utensils

  1. Buy NSF-listed gear or equivalent for all FCS items.
  2. Label any CIP equipment parts and keep diagrams on file.
  3. Georgia allows commercial sous-vide machines with 1-second operator-safety cycle.
  4. Maintain dish-machine final rinse ≥ 160 °F (plate temp) or 50 ppm chlorine.
  5. Use color-coded cutting boards and knives to prevent cross-contamination.

Pro-Tip: Tape your last three dish-machine test strips beside the unit— it proves ongoing verification without digging for logs.

Water & Plumbing

Pro-Tip: Mount small pressure gauges under each hand sink—instant pass when inspectors confirm adequate flow.

Georgia Deviation: New builds after 2023 must install hands-free faucet activation; FDA Model Code suggests but doesn’t require.

Physical Facilities

Pro-Tip: Add weekly self-audits; if you flag issues before the inspector does, most become Core instead of Priority Foundation.

Georgia-Specific Differences vs. FDA Model

Compliance & Enforcement

Pro-Tip: Keep a “corrective-action diary”—a simple notebook showing what you fixed and when. Inspectors weigh recent diligence heavily.

Georgia vs FDA Food Code At-a-Glance

Topic FDA Model 2022 Georgia 2025 Effect on Operators
Hot water at hand sinks ≥ 100 °F Same + hands-free faucet on new builds Budget for sensor faucets during remodel
HACCP record retention 90 days 180 days Keep logbooks twice as long
Bare-hand contact with RTE food Allowed with written plan Not allowed—gloves or utensils only Train servers on glove change protocol
Self-service condiment bars Dispensers or bulk OK Single-service packets only Order packets before buffet season
Cooling log requirement Recommended Required for Risk-4 Adopt a cooling log template today
Variance approval time Varies ≈ 30 days Apply at least a month before menu launch
Cleanup SOP for body fluids Advisory Mandatory Lamination & training required
Inspection grace period Depends on item Priority = 72 h Schedule fixes immediately post-inspection

Top 10 Daily Compliance Checks

[ ] 1. Verify walk-in ≤ 41 °F
[ ] 2. Record sanitizer ppm (3-comp sink)
[ ] 3. Calibrate probe thermometers
[ ] 4. Log cook temps for proteins
[ ] 5. Check hand sinks stocked
[ ] 6. Date & label all prepped TCS foods
[ ] 7. Swap serving utensils (4 h)
[ ] 8. Inspect pest traps, record findings
[ ] 9. Review employee illness log
[ ]10. Sign off cooling log before close
    

Frequently Asked Questions

Georgia adopts revisions every 4–5 years, usually following major FDA Model updates. However, local health departments can implement interim guidance at any time. Check annually for bulletins and adjust SOPs immediately when Rule 511-6-1 is amended.

Cottage-food operations fall under a separate statute (§26-2-21) and are exempt from many commercial requirements—but only if products are non-TCS and sold direct to consumer within Georgia. Once you ship interstate or add TCS items, full code applies.

Georgia mandates a potable tank with at least 5 gallons per food employee and a wastewater tank 15 percent larger than the fresh supply. Tanks must be sloped and fitted with labeled “Potable Water Only” connections.

Yes. Any ANSI-CFP accredited Food Protection Manager program—ServSafe, NRFSP, Prometric—meets Georgia’s CFPM rule. Keep the certificate on-site and schedule renewal every five years.

At minimum: “Employees Must Wash Hands Before Returning to Work.” Georgia accepts pictograms or multi-language signs as long as the message is clear and conspicuous to staff.

Yes, if you write a TPHC plan, mark each batch with discard time (≤ 4 h), and keep logs for 24 h. Inspector can request documentation anytime.

Submit form DPH FG20-1 with process flow, HACCP plan, and scientific validation (e.g., pH studies). The state reviews within ~30 days and may require a pilot run under observation.

Contact the county environmental health manager within 48 hours and provide evidence of correction. You may request a re-score visit; if denied, file an appeal under Ga. Code §50-13-9. Prepare logs, photos, and invoices to support claims.

Related Resources

Georgia Food Safety Regulations

Dive deeper into inspection priorities in Georgia.

Common Violations

Avoid the mistakes that tank inspection scores.

Inspections & Compliance

Understand grading and corrective timelines.

Recordkeeping Requirements

What logs you must keep—and for how long.