Food and beverage facility floors in Colorado sit under more than one regulatory umbrella, and which one applies depends on what the facility makes, not on the flooring product itself. FDA governs most food facilities, USDA FSIS governs meat, poultry, and egg plants, state and local health departments govern restaurants and retail food establishments, and TTB regulates alcohol production, importation, wholesale, and labeling; the sources reviewed describe no sanitation function. This guide is written for the facility manager, property owner, or GC deciding what a new or replacement floor needs to satisfy before a contractor is hired. It maps each regulator or audit body to the facility types it covers, explains what the underlying rules actually say about floors, and explains what the rules reviewed do and do not say about floors, including that they name no flooring product. Use it alongside the Colorado Food-Grade Flooring contractor hub when you're ready to scope a project.
Jurisdiction in food-facility flooring follows the product made on site, not the building type.
| Facility type | Primary regulator | Governing rule |
|---|---|---|
| Human food manufacturing, processing, packing, holding | FDA | 21 CFR 117 |
| Meat and poultry plants | USDA FSIS | 9 CFR 416 |
| Egg products plants | USDA FSIS | FSIS egg products inspection |
| Restaurants, grocery stores, retail food service | State/local health department | 6 CCR 1010-2 (incorporates FDA Food Code 2022) |
| Custom (non-sold) meat and game processing | Colorado Department of Agriculture | State custom-processing licensing |
| Brewery buildings | TTB | 27 CFR 25.31 (beer) |
Colorado has no state meat or poultry inspection program, so commercial (sold) meat and poultry plants in the state are inspected by FSIS. Facilities that make alcoholic beverages may also fall under FDA's human-food rules for the building, even though TTB's brewery-building rule (27 CFR 25.31) separately addresses revenue protection. Colorado food manufacturers and warehouses are registered and inspected by CDPHE's Manufactured Food Program under 6 CCR 1010-21, which incorporates Part 117 as it read on April 1, 2017, in addition to FDA.
Most human food manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding facilities fall under FDA's 21 CFR 117, the current good manufacturing practice rule for human food. Within that rule, 21 CFR 117.20 addresses plant and grounds, including a requirement that floors, walls, and ceilings be cleanable and kept in good repair, that drip or condensate not contaminate food or food-contact surfaces, and that aisles stay unobstructed. That is a performance requirement, not a materials specification: the rule does not name a flooring product class, does not set numeric slip-resistance or chemical-resistance values, and does not describe coving or slope.
Subparts C and G of Part 117 — the hazard analysis, preventive controls, and supply-chain provisions — do not apply to certain categories, including qualified facilities and alcoholic beverages at a facility that holds a TTB permit and is also registered with FDA as a food facility. Those exemptions apply only to subparts C and G; they do not exempt a facility from subpart B, which includes the floor and plant-construction language in 117.20.
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service describes its mission as preventing illness from meat, poultry, and egg products, under authorities including the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act. FSIS's own jurisdictional statement is that FDA regulates foods other than the meat, poultry, and egg products FSIS regulates — meaning FSIS does not cover other food categories, and FDA does not inspect FSIS-regulated meat, poultry, and egg plants.
For meat and poultry plants under FSIS inspection, 9 CFR 416 sets sanitation requirements for each official establishment (grounds and facility construction, vermin-proof floors and walls, floor drainage). Do not attach 416 to egg products plants. A separate FSIS rule eliminated the agency's prior practice of approving establishment drawings, specifications, and equipment before construction or remodeling; FSIS states it no longer evaluates equipment or utensils for acceptance and instead verifies sanitation compliance through ongoing inspection, with inspectors retaining authority to reject a facility or piece of equipment they find non-compliant.
Colorado's Department of Agriculture separately licenses custom processing of livestock and game for the animal owner's own consumption (not for sale); that program's own FAQ states that processing-room and cooler floors must be capable of being readily cleaned and properly drained, described only in those terms.
Restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, and similar retail food establishments fall outside 21 CFR 117 and outside FSIS; Colorado's rule 6 CCR 1010-2 has its own exclusions for facilities listed in C.R.S. 25-4-1602(14).
Colorado's rule incorporates the FDA Food Code as in effect on a fixed date in 2023, which is the 2022 edition, not FDA's current 2026 edition. The Food Code's physical-facilities chapter, as read in the current edition, addresses cleanability of floors, walls, and ceilings (with an exception for anti-slip coverings or applications used for safety), coved and sealed floor-wall junctures, and drainage in areas cleaned by water flush; confirm this against the incorporated 2022 edition. In most of Colorado, inspections are carried out by local public health agencies; CDPHE directly licenses and inspects retail food establishments only in a small number of named counties and otherwise directs operators to their local public health agency.
TTB's own description of its mission covers excise tax collection, consumer protection around the integrity of alcohol products, and qualifying businesses to enter the industry; it does not describe any food-safety or sanitation function. The one brewery-building construction rule in TTB's regulations, 27 CFR 25.31, requires only that brewery buildings be arranged and constructed to protect tax revenue and to facilitate TTB inspection — it names no flooring material, cleanability, or sanitary-design requirement.
Because FDA's hazard-analysis and supply-chain subparts (C and G) don't reach alcoholic beverages produced at a facility that holds a TTB permit and is also registered with FDA as a food facility, that exemption applies only to those two subparts, not to Part 117's subpart B, which includes the 117.20 floor and plant-construction language. In practice, a brewery building can be subject to TTB's revenue-protection construction rule and to FDA's CGMP floor language at the same time, for different reasons. Facilities weighing floor systems for production and packaging areas can start with the Colorado Breweries & Beverage Production hub and compare resinous system options in the Urethane Cement vs. Epoxy guide.
AIB International describes itself explicitly as not a regulator: its GMP inspections follow its own Consolidated Standards for Inspection, which it describes as covering operational methods, personnel practices, maintenance, cleaning, pest management, and food safety programs. AIB frames its inspections as educational, and as a step that can precede other third-party certifications. An AIB audit score is not a government approval, and passing one does not substitute for compliance with FDA, USDA FSIS, or state/local retail food rules — it is a separate, private, voluntary framework that facilities may choose to use alongside regulatory compliance.
The rules reviewed here (21 CFR 117, 9 CFR 416, 27 CFR 25.31) name no flooring product, and since 1997 FSIS no longer pre-approves establishment drawings or equipment. FDA's rule for human food facilities describes only a performance outcome for floors — cleanable, in good repair, free of drip contamination — and does not name any flooring material. FDA separately states it does not approve manufacturing facilities independently; it inspects regulated facilities against applicable requirements, and it does not issue certificates of registration. FSIS, after its 1997 rule eliminating prior-approval requirements, no longer evaluates or approves equipment, drawings, or specifications before construction; it verifies sanitation through ongoing inspection instead. TTB's one brewery construction rule addresses revenue protection and inspection access, not sanitary flooring design. AIB is a private audit and education organization, not a government body, and its standards are voluntary.
Start by identifying which regulator actually governs the facility — FDA, USDA FSIS, a state/local health department, or TTB for the building itself — since that determines which rule's plain language the floor needs to satisfy. From there:
No. FDA's rule for human food facilities requires that floors be cleanable and kept in good repair, but it does not name a flooring product. FDA has also stated it does not approve manufacturing facilities independently; it inspects regulated facilities against applicable requirements.
Generally no. FSIS's own jurisdictional statement is that FDA regulates foods other than the meat, poultry, and egg products FSIS regulates, meaning meat and poultry plants fall under USDA FSIS and its sanitation rule, 9 CFR 416, rather than FDA's 21 CFR 117; egg products plants are also FSIS-inspected. Confirm which agency actually inspects your facility before citing either rule in a scope of work.
No. AIB International describes itself as not a regulator; its inspections follow its own Consolidated Standards for Inspection and are described as educational. A government inspection under FDA, USDA FSIS, or a state/local health department rule is a separate, legally binding process.
TTB's one brewery-building construction rule requires only that the building be arranged and constructed to protect tax revenue and allow TTB inspection; it does not name a flooring material or sanitary-design requirement. A brewery that must register with FDA as a food facility is subject to Part 117 subpart B (117.20) even where subparts C and G are exempt under 117.5(i); confirm registration status with FDA. A taproom or food service area may fall under state/local retail rules.
No. FSIS no longer evaluates or pre-approves equipment, drawings, or specifications; it verifies sanitation compliance through ongoing inspection instead. FDA's rule describes a cleanability and good-repair outcome rather than approving specific products, and FDA has stated it does not approve manufacturing facilities independently.
Start with what the facility produces and whether it sells or processes the product, since that determines whether FDA, USDA FSIS, Colorado Department of Agriculture, or a local health department has jurisdiction. A contractor experienced with food-grade flooring can help frame the right questions, but the facility's own regulatory status should be confirmed directly with the applicable agency.
What food-grade flooring costs per square foot in Colorado, how price scales by market, and what drives cost in kitchens, breweries, and food plants.
How urethane cement and epoxy compare for commercial floors on thermal shock, chemical exposure, moisture tolerance, install, and which facilities fit each.
How seamless epoxy and quarry or ceramic tile compare in commercial kitchens on cleanability, grout, drains, durability, downtime, and repair.
FloorSpec matches commercial flooring projects to contractors whose service areas and service types fit the work. We review each contractor's credentials, insurance, and licensing. We do not verify a contractor's track record with a specific facility type, so ask about relevant experience during your own evaluation. FloorSpec is free for project owners.
Two-minute form. One reviewed contractor. Free for project owners.