Proper date marking of ready to eat foods that have to be maintained cold to be safe is a guidance sheet from Boulder County Licensing, printed under the title Date Marking Food at Retail and tied to Regulation 6 CCR 1010-2: Retail Food Establishments. It tells restaurant and other retail food operators which ready-to-eat foods need a date mark and how many days they may be kept at 41°F or colder. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original sheet is published by Boulder County at the official link below.
Last updated
What is Proper date marking of ready to eat foods that have to be maintained cold to be safe – Boulder County, CO?
Proper date marking of ready to eat foods that have to be maintained cold to be safe is a Boulder County Licensing guidance sheet (printed title: Date Marking Food at Retail) on which ready-to-eat foods must be date marked.
The sheet cites Regulation 6 CCR 1010-2: Retail Food Establishments. It is a reference for operators and employees, not an application, and completing it does not produce a permit or license.
A food must be date marked when it meets all three conditions:
- It is a potentially hazardous food that needs time and temperature control for safe food.
- It is a ready-to-eat food that may be eaten without any additional preparation.
- It is kept for more than 24 hours.
A marked food must be sold, served or discarded within seven days after it is prepared or its commercial container is opened. The sheet's example: food prepared on April 1 must be discarded on April 7. It explains the reason: Listeria monocytogenes can grow even at refrigerated temperatures, and date marking ensures food is discarded before that bacteria can make people sick.
The sheet also covers deli meats, foods that come out of the freezer, foods combined from several ingredients, the foods that may not need a date mark and a list of common exempt hard and semi-soft cheeses. It closes with the date it was issued, 1/8/18.
Who needs to file Proper date marking of ready to eat foods that have to be maintained cold to be safe – Boulder County, CO?
Operators of retail food establishments, and the employees who prepare and store food for them, use this sheet when they hold potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food for more than 24 hours. It is published by Boulder County Licensing and refers to Regulation 6 CCR 1010-2: Retail Food Establishments.
- Food establishment operators choose the marking method and should give employees a written policy; the sheet recommends one.
- Employees apply the system consistently. The sheet says it must be understandable, effective and used consistently.
- Kitchens that handle deli meats use the sheet once the original package is opened.
Not every food needs a mark. The sheet says some foods prepared and packaged in an inspected food processing plant may not require date marking, including commercially pre-packaged deli salads, semi-soft and hard cheeses, cultured dairy products such as yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk, preserved fish products such as pickled herring and dried or salted cod, and shelf-stable dry fermented sausages, pepperoni and salami.
When to file Proper date marking of ready to eat foods that have to be maintained cold to be safe – Boulder County, CO
Date marking starts when a ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food is prepared on site and held for more than 24 hours, or when its commercial container is opened. From that day the food may be kept at 41°F or colder for no more than seven days, then it must be sold, served or discarded.
Foods taken out of the freezer follow the same seven days, minus the time the food was refrigerated for preparation or opening before it was frozen. In the sheet's example, a chicken cooked on the morning of October 1, refrigerated for 2 days and frozen, then thawed on October 10, must be consumed, sold or discarded no later than midnight of October 14.
For a food made from several ingredients, the oldest ingredient sets the last day. The sheet gives no filing deadline, because nothing is filed.
How to fill out Proper date marking of ready to eat foods that have to be maintained cold to be safe – Boulder County, CO
Check the three date marking conditions
Mark a food only if it is a potentially hazardous food needing time and temperature control, is ready to eat without further preparation, and is kept for more than 24 hours. All three must be true.
Check the exemption list
Compare the food with the exempt examples: pre-packaged deli salads, hard and semi-soft cheeses, cultured dairy, preserved fish and shelf-stable dry fermented sausages. They may not need a mark when prepared and packaged in an inspected food processing plant.
Choose a marking method
Pick any method suited to your operation. It must be understandable, effective, consistently used by employees and clear to your inspector, and the sheet recommends a written policy.
Set the seven-day discard date
Count seven days from the day the food is prepared on site or the commercial container is opened, holding it at 41°F or colder. Sell, serve or discard it within that time.
Adjust for frozen foods
For food removed from the freezer, allow seven days at 41°F or colder minus the time used for preparation or opening before freezing, as in the October 1 chicken example.
Use the oldest ingredient for mixed foods
When a dish combines ingredients, such as the potato salad in the April 14 example, base the last day on the oldest ingredient.
Apply the deli meat rule
Date mark deli meats once the original package is opened, and buy sizes that can be sliced and sold within seven days of opening.
Review and download the PDF
Check that your policy matches the sheet, then download or print the PDF from FillingPDF and keep it with your food safety materials.
How to submit Proper date marking of ready to eat foods that have to be maintained cold to be safe – Boulder County, CO
This sheet is not filed with the agency: it names no mailing address, portal, appointment or fee. You use it inside your establishment and show your system to your inspector.
- In the establishment: mark foods with any method suitable to your operation. The sheet says the system must be understandable, effective, consistently used by employees and clear to your inspector during the evaluation. A written policy for employees is recommended.
- Questions: contact your local health department or visit https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/food-code-transition, as the sheet directs.
- Related tools: Boulder County Licensing lists Active Managerial Control tools for restaurant managers at https://bouldercounty.gov/records/licenses/tools-for-restaurant-managers/.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; any use of it follows the agency's channels described above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Keeping a date-marked food longer than seven days after it was prepared or its commercial container was opened.
- Using the date of the newest ingredient in a mixed food, such as potato salad, instead of the oldest ingredient, which sets the last day.
- Not subtracting the days a food was refrigerated before freezing when figuring how long it can be held after thawing.
- Assuming every cheese is exempt: the sheet lists common hard and semi-soft cheeses, and points to the 2013 Annexes of the FDA Food Code for the complete list.
- Treating foods as exempt that were not prepared and packaged in an inspected food processing plant; the sheet says only those foods may not require a date mark.
- Skipping the date mark on deli meats once the original package is opened.
- Using a marking system that employees do not apply consistently or that is unclear to the inspector during the evaluation.
- Counting the seven days at a holding temperature above 41°F; the sheet's rule is 41°F or colder for no more than seven days.
Frequently asked questions
What is date marking of ready-to-eat foods?
It is a Boulder County Licensing requirement under Regulation 6 CCR 1010-2 that a potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food kept more than 24 hours be marked and sold, served or discarded within seven days of preparation or opening, held at 41°F or colder.
Is this a Boulder County property tax form?
No. This document is food safety guidance from Boulder County Licensing about date marking foods at retail. It is not a property tax form and has nothing to file for property taxes.
Which foods have to be date marked?
Foods that meet all three conditions: they are potentially hazardous and need time and temperature control, they are ready to eat without more preparation, and they are kept for more than 24 hours. Foods that fail any one of them are not covered by this rule.
Which foods may not need a date mark?
Some foods prepared and packaged in an inspected food processing plant, such as pre-packaged deli salads, hard and semi-soft cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, preserved fish like pickled herring and shelf-stable dry fermented sausages, pepperoni and salami.
How do I mark the date on food?
Use any method that suits your operation. It must be understandable, effective, consistently used by employees and clear to your inspector. Boulder County Licensing recommends giving employees a written policy to follow.
How long can I keep date-marked food?
Seven days at 41°F or colder, counted from preparation or from opening a commercial container. For food from the freezer, subtract the time used for preparation or opening before freezing. In mixed foods the oldest ingredient decides the last day.
Do I submit this sheet to Boulder County?
No. The sheet is guidance and names no address, portal or fee. You use it in your establishment, and your marking system must be clear to your inspector during the evaluation.
Can I fill out this document online on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, is not affiliated with Boulder County and does not file or submit anything for you.
Ready to fill out Proper date marking of ready to eat foods that have to be maintained cold to be safe – Boulder County, CO?
Fill out Proper date marking of ready to eat foods that have to be maintained cold to be safe – Boulder County, CO now