This chapter shall be liberally construed and applied to promote its underlying purpose of protecting the public health.
The United States Food and Drug Administration's Food Code ("Food Code"), as adopted by reference in Connecticut General Statutes § 19a-36h, as well as adopted and promulgated by the State of Connecticut Commissioner of Health, is hereby adopted and made part of this chapter. All food establishments shall comply with the requirements of the Food Code, as amended from time to time, any supplement thereto published by the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the Connecticut General Statutes and the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, as applicable.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
APPROVED
Acceptable to the Director of Health based on a determination as to conformance with the requirements of this chapter, the Food Code and supplements, Connecticut General Statutes, the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, and/or good public health practices.
AUTHORIZED AGENT
A person designated by the Director of Health to act for him or her in the performance of any of his or her duties. For any person to be designated by the Director of Health to act for him or her in the enforcement of this chapter, he or she must also be currently certified as a food service sanitation officer by the Commissioner.
CERTIFIED FOOD PROTECTION MANAGER
Has the same meaning as provided in § 19a-36g of the Connecticut General Statutes.
COMMISSARY
A catering establishment, restaurant, or other fixed food establishment in which food is kept, handled, processed, prepared, packaged or stored with the intent of causing this food to be transported elsewhere for service.
COMMISSIONER
The State of Connecticut Commissioner of Public Health.
CORE ITEM
Has the same meaning as provided in Section 1-201.10 of the Food Code.
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH
The local Director of Health or his or her authorized agent.
FOOD
Any raw, cooked or processed edible substance, ice, beverage or ingredient used or intended for use or for sale in whole or in part for human consumption, or chewing gum.
FOOD CODE
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Model Food Code, as administered under Connecticut General Statutes § 19a-36h.
FOOD ESTABLISHMENT
An operation that a) stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends directly to the consumer or otherwise provides food for human consumption, including, but not limited to, a restaurant, catering food service establishment, food service establishment, temporary food service establishment, itinerant food vending establishment, market, conveyance used to transport people, institution or food bank; or b) relinquishes possession of food to a consumer directly, or indirectly through a delivery service, including, but not limited to, home delivery of grocery orders or restaurant takeout orders or a delivery service that is provided by common carriers. "Food service establishment" does not include a vending machine, as defined in § 21a-34 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a private residential dwelling in which food is prepared under § 21a-62a of the Connecticut General Statutes or a food manufacturing establishment, as defined in § 21a-151 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
FOOD INSPECTOR
The Director of Health, or his or her authorized agent, or a registered sanitarian who has been certified as a food inspector by the Commissioner.
FOOD PROCESSING PLANT
A commercial operation that manufactures, packages, labels, or stores food for human consumption and provides food for sale or distribution to other business entities such as food processing plants or food establishments. "Food processing plant" does not include a food establishment.
ITINERANT FOOD VENDING ESTABLISHMENT
A vehicle-mounted self-contained mobile food establishment. For the purposes of this chapter, a pushcart shall be considered an itinerant food vending facility.
LICENSE
The written document issued by the Milford Health Department that authorizes a person to operate a food establishment.
LICENSE HOLDER
The person that is legally responsible for the operation of the food establishment, such as the owner, the owner's agent, or other person to whom a license to operate a food establishment is issued.
PACKAGED
Bottled, canned, cartoned, bagged, or securely wrapped, whether packaged in a food establishment or a food processing plant.
PERSON
Includes any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity.
PERSON IN CHARGE
The individual present at a food establishment who is responsible for the operation at the time of inspection.
PRIORITY FOUNDATION ITEM
Has the same meaning as provided in Section 1-201.10 of the Food Code.
PRIORITY ITEM
Has the same meaning as provided in Section 1-201.10 of the Food Code.
PROCESSING
The conversion of raw food products into a state ready for human consumption, including, but not limited to, cutting, washing, heating, cooling and packaging.
PUSHCART
A non-self-propelled vehicle that only offers for retail sale food that is not time- or temperature-controlled for safety, or commissary-wrapped food maintained at proper temperatures, or limited to the preparation and serving of frankfurters, or limited to the manufacture and sale of frozen desserts.
RETAIL FOOD STORE
Any establishment or section of an establishment where food and food products are offered to the consumer and intended for off-premises consumption. The term includes delicatessens that offer prepared food in bulk quantities only. The term does not include roadside markets that offer only fresh fruits and fresh vegetables for sale.
SEASONAL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
A food establishment that operates at a fixed location for a period of time greater than 14 days but not year-round.
TEMPORARY FOOD ESTABLISHMENT
A food establishment that operates at a fixed location for a period of time of not more than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single event or celebration.
TIME/TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SAFETY FOOD (TCS)
A food that requires time/temperature control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation.
VARIANCE
A written document issued by the Commissioner of Public Health that authorizes a modification or waiver of one or more requirements of the Food Code.
VENDING MACHINE
A self-service device that, upon insertion of a coin, paper currency, token, card, or key, or by electronic transaction or optional manual operation, dispenses unit servings of food in bulk or in packages without the necessity of replenishing the device between each vending operation.
Where terms are not defined in this chapter and are defined in either the Food Code and supplements, the Connecticut General Statutes, the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies or the Building, Fire Safety or Public Health Codes, they shall have the same meanings ascribed to them as in the Connecticut General Statutes or as in these codes.
Where terms are not defined under the provisions of either the Food Code and supplements, the Connecticut General Statutes, the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies or the Building or Fire Safety Codes, they shall have ascribed to them their ordinarily accepted meanings or such as the context herein may imply.
Words used in the present tense include the future; words in the masculine gender include the feminine and neuter; the singular number includes the plural and the plural the singular.
If any provision or application of any provisions of this chapter is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions of this chapter.
This chapter shall not affect violations of any other ordinance, code or regulation existing prior to the effective date hereof. Any such violation shall be governed and shall continue to be punishable to the full extent of the law under the provisions of the ordinances, codes or regulations in effect at the time the violation was committed.
In any case where a provision of this chapter is found to be in conflict with a regulation of the Connecticut State Department of Public Health and/or the Department of Consumer Protection existing on the effective date of this chapter, the provision which establishes the higher standard for the promotion and protection of the health and safety of people shall prevail.
In the anticipation or the occurrences of a fire, flood, power outage or similar event that might result in the contamination of food, or that might prevent time/temperature control for safety food (TCS) from being held at required temperatures, the person in charge of a food establishment shall contact the Director of Health within two hours of first notice. If said notice is received at a time when the Health Department does not normally conduct regular business, the person in charge shall notify the police dispatcher, who shall continue to make all reasonable efforts to contact the Director of Health.
No license holder or person in charge shall permit any person, while infected with a disease in a communicable form that can be transmitted by foods or who is a carrier of organisms that cause such a disease or while afflicted with a boil, an infected wound, or an acute respiratory infection, to work in a food establishment unless specifically authorized by the Director of Health. If the owner, operator, or person in charge of a food establishment has reason to suspect that any employee has contracted any reportable diagnosis as specified in Section 2-201.11(A)(2) of the Food Code, or any other communicable disease included on the Commissioner's list of reportable diseases, emergency illnesses and health conditions adopted pursuant to § 19a-2a of the Connecticut General Statutes and that the Commissioner deems reportable in relation to a foodborne outbreak, such owner, operator, or person in charge shall immediately notify the local Director of Health.
(a) 
Generally. A temporary food establishment shall comply with the requirements of this chapter, Food Code and supplements, Connecticut General Statutes, and the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. The Director of Health or his or her authorized agent may impose additional requirements to protect against health hazards related to the conduct of the temporary food establishment; may prohibit the sale of some or all time/temperature control for safety foods (TCS); and when no health hazard will result, may waive or modify requirements of this chapter.
(b) 
Restricted operations.
(1) 
These provisions are applicable whenever a temporary food establishment is permitted, under the provisions of Section 8-12(a) of this article, to operate without complying with all the requirements of this chapter.
(2) 
Only those time/temperature control for safety foods (TCS) requiring limited preparation, such as hamburgers and frankfurters that only require seasoning and cooking, shall be prepared or served. The preparation or service of other TCS foods, including pastries filled with cream or synthetic cream, custards, and similar products, and salads or sandwiches containing meat, poultry, eggs, fish or shellfish, is prohibited. This prohibition does not apply if it can be shown to the full satisfaction of the Director of Health or his or her authorized agent that a TCS food can and will be prepared, packaged, stored, displayed or transported under conditions and in facilities meeting the requirements of this chapter, the Food Code and supplements, Connecticut General Statutes, and the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(a) 
It shall be unlawful and a violation of this chapter for any person to consume, use or smoke any cannabis-type substances as defined in Connecticut General Statutes § 21a-240 in the outdoor section of any food establishment as defined in Section 8-2 above.
(b) 
Penalty. Any food establishment found to be in violation of this Section 8-13 shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 for each offense, and a separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.