New Food Safety Rules Going Into Effect

Coming soon to a restaurant near you: a rare hamburger. New food safety rules will free up many establishments to serve undercooked meat as long as they provide a written warning of the risks on the menu or elsewhere. It's part of federal food guidelines adopted by North Carolina last week, and being implemented statewide September 1st.

Larry Michael is head of the food protection program with the state Division of Public Health. He says the rules are about more than just a rare burger.

Larry Michael: These rules or these standards are science-based standards and focus on risk factors that make people sick. So that's really the key for us, is that it's a win-win for both industry because safe food is good businessand it's a win for public health.

Michael says the rules focus on food storage temperatures, inadequate cooking, contaminated equipment, food from unsafe sources, and poor personal hygiene.