Can I be held liable for foodborne illness if I don't handle the food?

Full question:

I run a small business at home and am in the process of forming an LLC. We resell prepackaged food items, distributed by a national foodservice company. We do not handle the food in any way. If someone were to become ill on items purchased from me, could I be held liable, even though we did not handle the food?

  • Category: Misc
  • Date:
  • State: Texas

Answer:

Even if a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan is not mandatory, having one can help protect against claims of negligence and breach of implied warranty in a product liability lawsuit. A HACCP plan provides records that demonstrate safe food handling and shows that the manufacturer, distributor, or seller acted with reasonable care and was not negligent.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.

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