Retail Food Establishments

Retail food establishments include (but are not limited to) restaurants, cafes, fast food establishments, and mobile food trucks. This page contains information on the 2013 Food Code, rules, and laws related to retail food establishments in addition to resources and guidance on health, disinfection, pets, emergencies, mobile food establishments, and more. If you are interested in opening a retail food establishment, please contact your local environmental health department. If you have questions regarding this webpage, please contact EHFS. 

Regulations

Where do food regulations come from?

The Department of Public Health and Human Services is authorized in state law (often referred to as MCAs) to adopt administrative rules or ARMs to regulate food safety throughout the state.  The current ARMs are written to adopt most of the federal model food code.  Below you will find links to the MCAs, the ARMs, and the 2013 Food Code.  The ARMs were adopted January 1, 2015.

• Montana Code Annotated (MCA)
• Administrative Rules of Montana
• 2013 FDA Model Food Code

Health & Disinfection Guidance

• Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook
• Sample Handwashing Policy
• Written Employee Health Policy
• Handwashing poster for employees
• Norovirus Guidance for Retail Food Service Establishments
• Listeria Control in Delis Full
• FDA Bad Bug Book
• Unsafe Drinking Water
• Directions for Lead Tap Sample Collection

Other Helpful Information

• Produce Guide
• HACCP 101: New to HACCP, and curious what it entails? Take this course to learn more. (Provided by the Great Lakes Conference on Food)
• Mobile Food Guidance
• Pets Allowed in Food Service Establishments?
• Application for Bare Hand Contact
• Conference for Food Protection
• Emergency Action Plan Guidance
• Emergency! A Quick Reference Guide
• Suspicious Activity in Your Restaurant?  
• Flood Cleanup Tips
• Sport Fish Consumption Guidelines