Requirements to Run a Temporary Food Establishment

If you or your organization plan to serve food to the public, some important requirements must be met. We recommend reading the following documents:

• Temporary Food Establishment Operations Checklist (PDF)
• Applying for and Safely Operating a Temporary Food Establishment (PDF)

Proper Temporary Food Establishment Information

Food Source

All food must come approved sources and/or must be prepared on site in an approved facility. Home canned and home-prepared foods are not permitted!

Person in Charge

A Person in Charge must be present during all hours of operation. This person must be aware of food safety practices that apply to the temporary food service facility, and he/she must ensure that safe food practices are taking place at the temporary food facility.

Personnel

All employees must be free from open sores and skin infections, and maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness. Employees may not smoke, eat, or use any form of tobacco while on duty or near food or food service equipment. Food may only be touched with bare hands if it will be cooked after it is touched. Food employees must wear hair restraints to effectively keep hair from contacting food, equipment, utensils, single service items, etc.

No Sick Employees

Employees who are sick are very likely to spread disease while handling food. Therefore, employees who have diarrhea, vomiting, or who are sneezing or coughing are not permitted to work.

Ready-To-Eat Food

Employees may not touch ready-to-eat food (food that will not be cooked any further) with their bare hands. Instead, food must be handled with gloved hands, tongs, deli tissue, etc. If employees are wearing single-use gloves, remember to change them often and wash hands in between glove changes!

Cross-Contamination

Raw animal foods must be kept separate from ready-to-eat foods during storage, preparation, holding, and display. After being used for raw animals foods, utensils and equipment must be cleaned and sanitized before being used for ready-to-eat foods.