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Temporary Campus Food Sales and Giveaways

General Rules

Rules for Temporary Campus Food Sales/Giveaways

Frequently Asked Questions

Safe Food Handling Practices

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I determine if my event is public or private?

Public events are advertised and/or open to the community, easy to walk in and pick up food, or use funds solicited through sales/distribution. Some examples include fund raisers, potlucks (if persons other than your immediate University faculty, staff, or student group attend), and weekly seminars at which cookies and coffee are provided.

Private events are limited to a known University group. Some examples include department meetings, lunches or receptions, staff gatherings, coffee breaks, and residence hall floor meetings.

Do I need a permit to sell or giveaway food?

Yes! A permit is required for all public events where food is being served. A food sale/request permit is issued to a specified individual or organization for a single event. These are obtained from the Dean of Students office in TSU-235.

What are the guidelines for private events?

  • Make sure they remain private.
  • Do not leave food unattended, e.g., in the hallway or in an open room.
  • Make sure someone receives, serves and cleans up your food.
  • Do not advertise your event to the public.

Can I have a barbeque?

Open air barbeques are allowed only under the direct supervision of an authorized Food Handler holding a Food Handlers Permit. Food Handlers must supervise the setup and taking down of the food site. Food Handlers must also cook the food.

  • Only propane grills are allowed. No charcoal barbeques.
  • Foods served at a barbeque are limited to foods cooked directly on the grill. All other foods served must adhere to the Rules for Temporary Campus Food Sales and Giveaways.
  • No food preparation may take place out-of-doors.
  • Slicing is limited to carving parts of the cooked food while food is on the barbeque.
  • Foods which are cooked on the barbeque must be dispensed directly from the barbeque using sanitary utensils and stored in clean containers with covers or wrapped if not immediately served. No self-serve.
  • All food cooked on the barbeque must be protected from dust, dirt, insects, rodents, and other forms of contamination.
  • Grilled meats are limited to pre-formed, frozen hamburger patties, steaks and pre-cooked meats such sausages obtained from a licensed vendor. Also allowed are meats such as carne asada and teriyaki chicken that have been prepared by a licensed or permitted food supplier or restaurant.
  • All meats must be kept on ice at a temperature below 40 degrees and protected until cooked. All hamburgers must be cooked until gray or brown throughout to prevent pathogenic E. coli infections. Red meat must reach a temperature of 165 F and poultry 180 F. A meat thermometer is recommended to ensure these temperatures are reached. Thermometers are available on loan from Environmental Health and Instructional Safety
  • Have an appropriate 10 lb. ABC fire extinguisher on site when outdoor grilling.

Do I need a food handler's permit?

A food handler's permit is required for open air barbeques. These events are allowed only under the direct supervision of an authorized Food Handler holding a Food Handlers Permit. An authorized Food Handler can be faculty, staff, or student. Food Handlers must be present at all time during the setup, cooking and taking down of the food site. During the event, the permit must be worn by the authorized food handler. See the General Guidelines on barbeques.

How do I obtain a food handler's permit?

To obtain a Food Handler's Permit, a food safety training class is required. Contact Environmental Health and Instructional Safety at Ext 7233 for more information.

What are the rules for bake sales/distribution?

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety has established the following rules for the sale of doughnuts, baked goods and hot beverages on the CSUF campus. These guidelines are intended to help campus groups maintain sanitary practices while offering the above listed items for sale. All campus bake sale activities must operate within the following guidelines:

  • Obtain a Facility Reservation Request Form from the Dean of Students.
  • Individually wrap each baked good or provide a display cover. Covering may consist of a hard plastic case or plastic wrap. Unwrapped items must be handed to the public using tongs, wax paper, or paper napkins. Self service of individually wrapped items is allowed.
  • Doughnuts and other baked goods may not have crème, whipped crème or custard filling.
  • Self service liquid containers must be fully enclosed to prevent access to the liquid contents.
  • Self service items such as creamer, sugar, hot chocolate, and soups, must be individually wrapped. Sugar and dry creamer may be served in a closed shaker type container. The public may not spoon these items directly from open containers.
  • All campus bake sales/distribution and associated events are subject to inspection by Environmental Health and Instructional Safety. Failure to comply with these guidelines and other University regulations may result in closure, loss of future privileges, and disciplinary action. A copy of the Facility Reservation Request Form must be made available at the activity site.

What happens if someone gets food poisoning?

Anyone involved with the event can be held responsible! You can diminish the probability of contaminated food by following the appropriate rules and using common sense.

  • Don't disregard safe food handling and sanitation practices.
  • Don't serve potentially hazardous food to the public that's prepared or stored in a private home. It's against the law.
  • Don't use an unlicensed food service vendor or caterer.
  • Don't leave food unattended. Someone may tamper with it.
  • Don't accept donated food unless it is from a licensed vendor.
  • Don't discount reports of food borne illnesses. Call the University's Environmental Health and Instructional Safety Office @ 278-7233 and fill out an incident report.

What are safe food handling practices?

You must observe the following personal and food sanitation measures before, during and after service.

  1. Wash your hands with soap and hot water for at least 30 seconds before serving food and after:
    • Using the bathroom
    • Changing diapers
    • Petting animals
    • Coughing or sneezing into your hand
    • Blowing your nose or smoking
    • Each food preparation or serving function.
  2. Change your gloves, utensils and dishes when changing functions, e.g., from handling or preparing raw or fresh foods to serving fresh or cooked foods.
    • Serve grilled food on a clean plate, not one that held raw meat, poultry or fish.
  3. Sanitize the food preparation area.
    • Use 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach in 1 gallon warm water (75° F). Use paper towels during preparation, serving and clean-up.
  4. Avoid cross-contamination:
    • Have one person serve.
    • Keep unused foods, condiments, marinades, sauces and drinks separate from leftover foods, condiments, marinades, sauces and drinks.
    • Do not serve or store food in hazardous material containers.
    • Do not store any food in laboratory refrigerators or freezers.
    • Keep both short and long hair under control. Wear a hair-net or tie your hair back.
  5. Maintain safe temperatures for potentially hazardous foods or don't serve them.
    • Keep hot foods hot (140° F or above); serve on heating trays or heat as needed.
    • Keep cold foods cold (40° F or below); serve on ice or serve throughout the gathering from platters stored in the refrigerator.
    • Don't serve raw or partially cooked meat, poultry, fish and eggs, including:
      • Rare or medium-rare hamburger
      • Ice cream, eggnog and Caesar salad containing raw eggs.
  6. When you serve food, never leave it out over 4 hours.
  7. Throw away potentially hazardous foods that are out of safe temperature ranges longer than 4 hours. Vegetarian dishes can be hazardous. Potentially hazardous foods include:
    • Raw and cooked high protein foods such as: meats, poultry, fish, dairy and egg products, e.g., deviled eggs.
    • Cooked high carbohydrate foods such as: pasta, rice, beans, potatoes, soups, sauces, gravies or food mixtures that contain any of the above items and/or meat and eggs.
    • Warm iced tea (bacteria naturally found in tea leaves).
  8. Serve low protein, dry high carbohydrate and high acidity foods that are not potentially hazardous. These foods include:
    • Tortilla chips
    • Nuts
    • Pre-packed salads and vegetables.
  9. What do you do with leftovers? When in doubt toss it out. Refrigerate and freeze leftovers promptly in small containers. Do not store any food in laboratory refrigerators or freezers.
  10. Immediately after the event, seal all food garbage in plastic garbage bags.
    • Dispose of the bags in a dumpster.

What are safe temperatures for foods?

All foods can be safe if handled properly.

  • Keep hot foods HOT (140 degrees F or above); serve on heating trays or heat as needed.
  • Keep cold foods COLD (40 degrees F or below); serve on ice or serve throughout the gathering from platters stored in the refrigerator.
  • Don't serve raw or partially cooked meat, poultry, fish and eggs, including:
    • Rare or medium-rare hamburger
    • Ice cream, eggnog and Caesar salad may contain raw eggs.
  • Maintain safe temperatures for potentially hazardous foods or don't serve them. (Use a thermometer to check temperatures of potentially hazardous foods.)
  • Place the thermometer in the center of the dish or the thickest part of the meat away from bone.
    • 212 F - Liquid leftovers: soups, gravies, sauces - a rapid boil.
    • 180 F - Poultry (whole pieces) - until juices run clear.
    • 165 F - Ground poultry and poultry mixes.
    • 155 F - Red ground beef or pork - until brown or grey inside;
    • 145 F - Eggs and dishes containing eggs.
    • 160 F to 140 F - Holding range for hot foods.
    • Holding Temperature Range for cold foods is 32 F to 40 F.
  • DANGER ZONE
    • DO NOT leave food in the range of 40 F to 140 F for more than 4 hours.
    • DO NOT thaw foods in the range of 40 F to 140 F.
    • THROW AWAY potentially hazardous foods that are out longer than 4 hours.

What are potentially hazardous foods?

High protein and high carbohydrate foods become hazardous when they are out of safe temperature ranges for more than 4 hours. If a food is kept out of its safe temperature range for more than 4 hours, including preparation, delivery and serving time, then its potential for breeding germs greatly increases.

Examples of potentially hazardous foods are:

  • Raw and cooked:
    • Meat
    • Poultry
    • Fish
    • Dairy
    • Egg products, e.g. deviled eggs
  • Cooked:
    • Pasta
    • Beans
    • Rice
    • Potatoes
    • Soups, sauces, gravies
    • Food mixtures that contain any of the above items and/or meat or eggs
  • Others:
    • Warm iced tea (bacteria naturally found in tea leaves)

What foods are not potentially hazardous?

Low protein, dry high-carbohydrate and high-acidity foods are not potentially hazardous.

  • Potato and tortilla chips
  • Rolls
  • Carbonated drinks
  • Bread
  • Doughnuts (not cream/custard or cheese filled)
  • Pre-packed, washed raw vegetables
  • Nuts

Even if foods are not potentially hazardous, can I still get food poisoning?

Yes. Cross-contamination can occur. It's the transfer of disease-causing organisms from a contaminated surface or person to a previously clean surface or area. Follow appropriate sanitation measures to avoid cross-contamination.

What are appropriate sanitation measures?

  • Wash hands frequently
    • Use hot, soapy water for 30 seconds
    • Rinse under hot running water
    • Dry with a paper towel.
  • Wash your hands after:
    • Using the bathroom (Hepatitis A can be transferred from fecal material.)
    • Changing diapers
    • Petting animals
    • Coughing or sneezing into your hand
    • Blowing your nose
    • Smoking
    • And always before handling food or changing food functions.
  • Sanitize the food preparation area frequently using 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach in 1 gallon warm water (75 degrees F):
    • Counter tops and equipment
    • Cutting boards, sinks, scrubber and brushes. Use plastic cutting boards, not wood.
  • Make sure your equipment is clean and not contaminated by children, pets, insects or dirty hands.
  • Use paper towels to clean up during food preparation and serving. Harmful bacteria multiply quickly in kitchen towels, sponges and cloths.
  • Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or the microwave.
  • Change gloves, utensils and dishes when changing functions, e.g., from handling or preparing raw or fresh foods to serving fresh or cooked foods.
  • Serve grilled food on a clean plate; not one that held raw meat, poultry or fish.
  • Keep both short and long hair under control. Wear a cap or a hair-net or tie your hair back.
  • Have one person serve. Don't serve food and collect money at the same time.
  • Keep unused condiments, marinades and sauces separate from leftover condiments, marinades and sauces.
  • Do not serve or store food in hazardous material containers, e.g., soft drinks in beakers.
  • Do not store any food in laboratory refrigerators.

How do I deal with leftovers?

  • WHEN IN DOUBT TOSS IT OUT.
  • Ask the following questions:
    • What type of food is it? Potentially hazardous or not hazardous food?
    • If the food is potentially hazardous, how long was it out of its safe temperature range, including preparation and delivery time? Throw away potentially hazardous food.
  • Never taste food that looks or smells strange to check if you can still use it. Just discard it.
  • Refrigerate and freeze perishable leftovers promptly in small, shallow containers for quick cooling. Cool air must circulate to keep food safe.
  • Do not mix unused and uncooked foods with leftover foods.
  • Do not store any food in laboratory refrigerators or freezers.

What do I do with the garbage and waste?

  • Immediately after the event, seal all food garbage in plastic garbage bags. Dispose of the bags in a dumpster.
  • Do not let garbage bags sit out--put them in a dumpster. Depending on the time of day, trash may not get emptied for 24 hours or more. Garbage becomes smelly, attracts bugs, and promotes bacterial growth.

Where do I report food borne illness?

Call Environmental Health and Instructional Safety at 278-7233 and fill out an incident report.

What if someone wants to donate food for an event?

  • DO NOT ACCEPT DONATED FOOD UNLESS YOU CAN VERIFY THAT IT IS FROM A LICENSED VENDOR.
  • Don't accept donations from someone's home.
  • Food temperatures must be maintained from the preparation to delivery to serving.

What bacteria and viruses can make people sick?

Organism Source of illness Symptoms Prevention methods
BACTERIA. coli 0157:H7 Found in undercooked hamburger and roast beef, raw milk, improperly processed cider, contaminated water, mayonnaise and vegetables grown in cow manure. Seen in person-to-person transmission, especially among children in daycare. Onset: 3-8 days after eating; lasting 4-10 days. Severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea and sometimes bloody diarrhea. Young children, the elderly and the infirm may develop complications: hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause kidney failure, brain damage, strokes and seizures. Cook meat until 160o F. Refrigerate or freeze all meat products as soon as you return from shopping. Wash hands in soapy water as hot as you can stand it after using the bathroom or hanging diapers and before food preparation. Carefully wash hands and sanitize utensils and work surfaces after contact with raw meats and their juices.
Salmonella Found in raw meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and products made with these foods. The bacteria are toxic and multiply rapidly at room temperature. Onset: 5-27 hours after eating. Nausea, headache, diarrhea, vomiting. Can be fatal in the elderly, infants and the sick. Use safe food handling and sanitation practices. Avoid cross-contamination Cook foods thoroughly. Refrigerate promptly.
Listeria monocytogenes Found in unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses. Onset: 4-21 days. Headache, fever, vomiting. May be fatal. Avoid unpasteurized milk. Cook foods thoroughly. Use safe food handling and sanitation practices.
Clostridium perfringens Found in many foods, meat and poultry dishes. The bacteria are toxic and multiply rapidly at room temperature. Onset: 8-24 hours after eating. Abdominal pain and diarrhea. Use safe sanitation practices and handling of food, especially meat and meat dishes, gravies, and leftovers. Cook food thoroughly.
Staphylococcus aureus Found in cuts and nostrils. Toxin is produced by bacteria when food is left too long at room temperature. Found in meats, poultry and egg products, in potato, tuna and macaroni salads and cream-filled pastries. Onset: 2-6 hours after eating. Flu-like symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and abdominal cramps. Rarely fatal. Sanitary and safe food-handling practices. Wash hands after blowing nose. Cover cuts on the skin.
VIRUS Hepatitis A virus Found in fecal material. Found in shellfish harvested in contaminated areas. Found in raw foods. Onset: 30 days Fatigue and jaundice. Can cause liver damage and death. Use sanitary and safe food handling practices. Wash hands after using the bathroom. Cook thoroughly.
Norwalk, Human Rotavirus Found in intestinal tract and expelled in feces. Contamination occurs through direct hand-to-food contact during food preparation and serving; the use of sewage to fertilize gardens; eating shellfish grown in contaminated waters. Onset:1-3 days. Severe diarrhea, nausea, vomiting. Respiratory symptoms. Can last 4-5 days, or many weeks. Use sanitary food handling practices. Cook foods adequately.

Revised: EH&S 06/2004