Body Fluid Control Program

A body fluid control program is a written plan for safely cleaning up vomit, diarrhea, blood or other body fluids in a food business and protecting food, surfaces and people afterward.

  • Food safety
  • Food safety programs

Vomiting and diarrhea can spread germs such as norovirus, including through tiny airborne particles. The FDA Food Code requires food establishments to keep written clean-up procedures for these events. The plan should cover containing and removing the discharge, cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces, judging and discarding exposed food, stocking norovirus-effective disinfectants, protective gear and tools, closing off the area, excluding ill workers, removing ill customers from food areas, and stating when the plan kicks in. This requirement sat at § 2-501.11 in the 2022 Food Code and moved to § 2-502.11 in 2026.

A fast, correct response limits how far contamination travels. These clean-ups call for strong disinfection: CDC recommends a chlorine bleach solution of 1,000 to 5,000 ppm, or an EPA-registered disinfectant labeled for norovirus. Sick workers matter as much as the spill, because CDC notes the virus can remain in stool for two weeks or more after a person feels better. Where staff may reasonably be expected to contact blood as part of their duties, OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard adds its own requirements, including a written exposure control plan.

Key facts

Bleach for vomit or diarrhea clean-up
1,000–5,000 ppm (5–25 Tbsp bleach per gallon)
Bleach contact time
At least 5 minutes
Return to food handling
At least 48 hours after symptoms stop
Food Code citation
§ 2-501.11 (2022); § 2-502.11 (2026)

In a bakery or commercial kitchen

  • Keep a ready clean-up kit with gloves, protective gear, disposable towels, bags and a norovirus-effective EPA-registered disinfectant
  • Close off the area right away and move ill customers or staff out of prep, service and storage areas
  • Evaluate and discard exposed food, then clean, sanitize and disinfect every affected surface
  • Keep disinfectant visibly wet for the full label contact time, and reapply if it dries early
  • Train staff on the plan and on protective gear, and exclude ill employees as the Food Code directs

For home and cottage bakers

  • Put on disposable gloves, wipe up the mess with paper towels, and seal the waste in a plastic bag
  • Disinfect with 5 to 25 tablespoons of household bleach per gallon, leave it 5 minutes, then wash with soap and hot water
  • Wash soiled linens on the longest hot cycle and machine-dry them on the highest heat
  • Cottage bakers: don't make food for others until at least 48 hours after vomiting or diarrhea stop

Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 17, 2026.

  1. Retail Food Protection: Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  2. Summary of Changes in the 2026 FDA Food Code, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  3. How to Prevent Norovirus, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  4. Selected EPA-Registered Disinfectants, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  5. 1910.1030 - Bloodborne pathogens, Occupational Safety and Health Administration