Mission
Although it is recognized that good sanitation means good business, it must be understood, achieving necessary and desirable levels of sanitation costs money. There is a price for safe food, pure air, safe water supplies and all the other factors, which reduce disease and promote good public health, but the price of disease is greater.
South Carolina’s food protection program is a preventive program. Standards and requirements must include built-in safety factors to assure that the program will be effective. Standards and requirements must be designed to minimize risk factor hazards resulting from accidents or breakdown of routine procedures as well as eliminate any imminent health hazard, which might be encountered.
Everyone involved in a food protection program must recognize the importance of identifying and proper food handling practices. The health of the public is at stake. If administrative or legal action becomes necessary, consumer protection must be considered foremost, and such action should be taken promptly and impartially. When public health is in the balance, compliance with controlling risk factors and sanitation requirements must be the primary concern, and must not be overshadowed by economic considerations. Good public health is preventative, not curative.
Experience has demonstrated conclusively that uniform, fair, and reasonable interpretation of regulation leads to a good working relationship between the regulatory authority and industry and creates an atmosphere, which produces maximum benefits in terms of food protection.