Planning Guide

Safe Food Events:

Fairs, Festivals and Suppers

Planning Guide and Food Safety Plan Template

By:
Diane Wright Hirsch, University of Connecticut
Martha Smith Patnoad, University of Rhode Island
Dale Steen, University of Vermont
Catherine Violette, University of New Hampshire
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1940, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. An equal opportunity program provider and employer.
Safe Food Events: Planning Guide

INTRODUCTION

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that each year roughly 1 out of 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases (CDC, 2011). Some of the cases are mild, while others result in death. The estimated cost including lost wages, medical bills and lawsuits are reported to be 8.5 billion dollars a year. Historically, improper temperature control, poor personal hygiene practices and inadequate facilities have been responsible for causing forborne illness outbreaks at temporary food events.
A major outbreak that occurred at the Norwalk, Connecticut, Oyster Festival in 1991 was the impetus for focusing on safe food handling at temporary events in Connecticut and New England. However, there continues to be a number of annual foodborne illness outbreaks attributed to “community” or other types of temporary food events.

The Food and Drug Administration Food Code defines a temporary food establishment as a food establishment that operates for a period of no more than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single event or celebration. They may be held either in or out of doors and often have limited physical and sanitary facilities. An event that is advertised with fliers, banners, newspaper articles, radio or TV announcements or by other means regardless of whether a fee is charged is considered a pubic event and is subject to the health code requirements of the local regulatory authority. [Be sure to check with your local regulatory authority--each state defines and regulates temporary food events differently.]
Food preparation practices at temporary food events should comply with all of the requirements of the local regulatory authority. Because temporary events present particular concerns that are unique to nonpermanent establishments, the following information should be provided to your local health authority along with a complete menu and preparation instructions:

  • The number of expected patrons/day;
  • Information on the number and type of toilet and handwashing facilities to be provided;
  • The exact location of the event identifying the availability of potable (drinkable) water,

wastewater/solid waste facilities and services, and methods of dust control;

  • A description of the water supply and wastewater and solid waste storage and removal provisions to assess if adequate facilities are provided on site or if additional supplies/services are needed;
  • The parcel size for the expected number of patrons;
  • A list of names, telephone numbers, and addresses of the event operators, including the name of the designated staff person who will be on site during all hours of the operation of the event and who is responsible for compliance with local regulations;
  • The location and source of electricity to be provided.

The site coordinator is ultimately responsible for compliance with local regulatory authority requirements. They, as well as all volunteer foodservice workers, are responsible for serving safe and wholesome food to the public.

The responsibilities of the site coordinator include:

  • Knowing the local regulations/requirements for temporary food establishments
  • Completion of all required permit application forms
  • Pre-event inspection of the facility to insure it complies with local regulations
  • Knowing the principles of food safety and how to apply them
  • Regular monitoring of the facility, including food preparation and serving practices to ensure they are done in compliance with local regulations.
  • Serving as the contact with the local regulatory authority on all issues including a foodborne illness outbreak.

The site coordinator should meet with the local regulatory authority prior to the event at the event site to ensure the event is being conducted in a manner that conforms with local requirements.

This Planning Guide and the Food Safety Plan Template:

  1. Provides background information on the causes and prevention of foodborne illness to help you and your volunteers understand WHY certain safe food practices are important;
  2. Will help you to operate the event in a manner that reduces the risk of foodborne illness for your patrons; and
  3. Will help you to gather the necessary documentation needed to obtain approval from your local regulatory authorityand comply with food safety regulations.

Note: while there are a variety of forms for your use in this manual, keep in mind that a local health department will likely have their own forms that you will need to fill out.

Revised 10/11

FOODBORNE ILLNESS: A QUICK REVIEW
It is important to become familiar with foodborne illnesses, their cause, foods that may carry the infecting agent, and the symptoms and course of illness.
What groups are at greatest risk for foodborne illness?
While anyone can get foodborne illness, some groups of people are at greater risk because their immune system (the way the body fights illness) is either immature (very young) or not working well (compromised) as a result of illness or medication. High risk groups include: the very young, pregnant women, the elderly, the chronically ill, those taking antibiotics, antacids or certain drugs or undergoing chemotherapy or those with chronic illnesses affecting the immune system such as AIDS, diabetes, lupus, cancer or kidney disease.
How could food become contaminated during a temporary food event?
Food can be contaminated any time during harvesting, processing, transporting, preparing, storing and serving food. There are three types of food safety hazards that can cause illness or injury to the consumer.

  • Chemical Hazards include toxic chemicals used for pest control, cleaning and sanitizing. Toxic metals can sometimes be found in imported, older or "gourmet" kitchen utensils or older water or well systems. These can include copper, brass, cadmium, lead and zinc. Zinc used to galvanize containers (garbage cans) and in gray enamelware containers can make acidic foods such as orange juice or tomato sauce and pickles poisonous. Natural toxins produced by some molds and found in some plants (mushrooms) or mishandled fish (scromboid toxin) are also considered to be chemical hazards.

Allergens are also considered to be “chemical” hazards. The eight allergens identified by the FDA that must be addressed by those who sell/manufacture food are: eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts), fish (such as bass, cod, flounder), shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp),soy, and wheat.

  • Physical Hazards usually result from accidental contamination. Examples include slivers of glass, human hair, nails, false nails, nail polish, pieces of jewelry, metal fragments from worn or chipped utensils and containers, dirt, stones, and frilled toothpicks.
  • Microbiological Hazards occur when microorganisms found in the air, food, water, soil, animals and humans contaminate food. Microorganisms commonly associated with foodborne illnesses include bacteria, viruses and parasites. They account for the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks. Examples include salmonella, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, hepatitis A and the trichina parasite, which causes trichinosis.

Foodborne illness is most often caused by bacteria. Bacteria can contaminate both raw and cooked foods. It is important to handle all potentially hazardous foods safely. Bacteria can cause two types of illness:

1)Infection: Some bacteria cause infections (Salmonella enteriditus, Listeria monocytogenes) When we eat a food that is contaminated with these bacteria, we become infected with the bacteria, which may multiply easily at body temperature. It may take several days for bacteria to multiply to numbers that will make you sick. When you become sick, you may have a fever from these infections. These bacteria tend to be found in raw animal products or in ready to eat foods than may be contaminated during handling.
2) Intoxication: Some bacteria make toxins or poisons when they are allowed to grow and multiply in a food. Generally, these bacteria tend to be found in ready to eat food, food that has been cooked and cooled, and food that has been cooked, cooled, and reheated. When you eat a food that contains these poisons or toxins, you usually become sick very quickly…in a matter of hours. These bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens. These toxins are heat stable and may not be destroyed with additional cooking.
Bacteria grow and multiply in the food if conditions are right. Generally under the “right” conditions, bacteria will reproduce every 20 minutes.

Viruses, parasites, and other microorganisms may cause foodborne illness as well. Viruses are often associated with contaminated water and unclean hands. They do not need to be in a food to be passed from one person to another. The best method of preventing contamination by a virus is to wash hands thoroughly.
Parasites are small worm-like organisms that need an animal or human host to survive. You are probably most familiar with the trichinae parasite, found in wild game and pork products. Parasites are often found in fresh fish. Cooking and freezing for a specified period of time destroys parasites.
Four Simple Rules for Safe Food

To reduce the risk of foodborne illness from your temporary event, remember these Four Simple Rules:

Rule 1

Good Personal Hygiene: Develop and Implement Policies

Foodborne illness outbreaks are often the result of food handlers with poor personal health and hygiene habits. It is important that everyone working at your food event understand and practice good personal hygiene--including washing hands, restraining hair, wearing clean clothing and not working while sick. A simple written worker health and hygiene policy will emphasize your commitment to food safety.
Develop and implement a worker attire policy that includes:

  • Wearing clean clothing and cover it with a clean apron.
  • Wearing hats, hairnets, or some type of hair restraint.
  • Avoiding jewelry. Rings trap bacteria, and provide a warm, moist environment for bacteria to grow. Earrings and other jewelry can fall into food and become lost.
  • Keeping fingernails clean, unpolished, and trimmed short. Nail polish can chip. Long and/or artificial nails may chip and break into food.
  • Removing body piercing jewelry.
  • Wearing closed toe rubber soled shoes–no sandals or high heels.

Develop and implement a worker health and hygiene policy that includes:

  • Allowing no person with a communicable disease or having boils, sores, infected wounds, a cold, vomiting, or a diarrheal illness to work with food. Ask workers to stay away when they are sick with a fever, bad cold, stomach bug, vomiting, diarrhea, if they are a carrier of any foodborne pathogens such as hepatitis A or salmonella.
  • Knowing how to properly bandage and cover open cuts or wounds. (wash hands, apply a clean bandage, then a clean glove)
  • Assigning someone to another job where they will not be handling food (if they have a cold, runny nose, infection).
  • How and when to wash hands.
  • Allowing no smoking and eating in the food booth.

Rule 2

Keep it Clean: Hands and Food Contact Surfaces

A good sanitation program is the foundation of a food safety program. If food preparation surfaces, utensils or equipment are contaminated, the microorganisms can easily be transferred to the food. Hands are a food-contact surface. Dirty hands are often implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks. Dirty hands can spread foodborne pathogens.

Handwashing
Handwashing facilities must be available. Hot water, soap, and paper towels must be available for workers' use. Wash hands thoroughly and frequently for 20 seconds using hot water and soap, and rinse with hot water.

"Thoroughly" means:

  • Use running hot water, lather with soap.
  • Scrub under nails, between fingers, back of hands, and up wrists.
  • Wash for 20 seconds.
  • Give hands a thorough rinse with hot water.
  • Dry hands with a paper towel.
  • Turn off the water with the paper towel.

"Frequently" means:

  • Before starting to work with food;
  • after using the restroom;
  • after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose;
  • after touching head, hair, any other part of your body;
  • after touching raw food--i.e., poultry, meat, or fish;
  • when changing jobs in the kitchen-washing dishes, equipment, or utensils; taking out trash; mopping floors;
  • after touching chemicals;
  • during food preparation as needed; and
  • after smoking. (It is impossible to smoke without exposing the fingers to droplets of saliva. Small and unnoticed, these droplets can contain thousands of bacteria, which can contaminate anything fingers touch. Exhaled smoke sends saliva droplets and other contaminants into the air.)

Single-use disposable plastic gloves are recommended for preparing salads and handling other readytoeat foods. Change and throw away gloves as often as you wash your hands. Wearing gloves is NOT a substitute for frequent handwashing!

Cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces:

Work areas, equipment, utensils, cutting boards
”Sanitation” is the identification, practice, and documentation of measures that make the foodservice environment healthful and less likely to contribute to a foodborne illness outbreak. "Clean" means free of dirt and filth that you can see. “Sanitary" means that the amount of disease-causing microorganisms or contaminants has been reduced to "safe" levels. Food contact surfaces include counters, cutting boards, utensils, hands, gloves, knives, plates, cups-anything that comes into contact with food during storage, preparation, holding or serving.

  • Develop a daily check list to keep track of cleaning and sanitation activities.

Make a list of daily tasks, when they should be done, and who should do them. Once accomplished, the volunteer can simply initial the checklist.

  • Provide a supply of clean wiping cloths. When not in use, they should be stored in bleach solution.
  • All food contact surfaces and equipment must be cleaned and sanitized at regular intervals and as often as necessary to be kept clean. A bleach solution should be provided in sufficient quantities for sanitizing all food contact surfaces.
  • Procedure for cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces:
    1. Wash in hot, soapy water.
  1. Rinse in clean, hot water.
  2. Sanitize by soaking in a warm water and bleach solution.
  • Garbage cans for disposal of waste must be provided. They should be leakproof, easily cleanable, pestproof, and durable. Empty garbage regularly to prevent insect infestation.
    Store away from food preparation areas and keep covered. They should be washed and sanitized daily away from the food preparation area.
  • Wastewater must be disposed in a sanitary sewer or approved dumping station–not poured on the ground.

Rule 3

Keep Temperature Under Control
The number one cause of foodborne illness outbreaks is the failure to keep potentially hazardous foods at the proper temperatures. Keeping track of food temperatures is essential to the safety of your food product. Bacteria and other microorganisms are more likely to grow and multiply in a potentially hazardous food if the food is in the Temperature Danger Zone. The Temperature Danger Zone ranges from 41F to 135F. Cold foods should be held or stored below 41F, while hot foods should be held and stored at 135F or higher. Foods should be cooked to the appropriate end cooking temperature for each food. You must have facilities available to keep foods at the proper temperature.

Have the following temperature testing equipment at your site:

Bimetallic food thermometer (plastic face for use outside of oven): Reads in 15-20 seconds, place 2-2 1/2" deep in thickest part of food. Can be used in roasts, casseroles, and soups. Temperature is averaged along probe, from tip to 2-3" up the stem. Not designed to remain in food while it is cooking, use to check the internal temperature of a food at the end of cooking time. Not appropriate for thin foods. Some models can be calibrated; check manufacturer's instructions.

Thermistor, Digital Instant-Read: Reads in 10 seconds. Digital Instant-read thermometers must be placed at least 1/2" deep, thermistors are tip sensitive. Can measure temperature in thin and thick foods. Not designed to remain in food while it's cooking. Check internal temperature of food near the end of cooking time. Some models can be calibrated; check manufacturer's instructions.

Thermocouple: Reads in 2-5 seconds, place 1/4" or deeper, as needed. Good for measuring temperatures of thick and thin foods. Not designed to remain in food while it's cooking. Check internal temperature of food near the end of cooking time. Can be calibrated. These can be expensive.

Refrigerator/freezer thermometers: Place a thermometer on the top shelf of the refrigerator/freezer near to the door. This is the warmest part of the refrigerator/ freezer. Check the temperature at least twice daily. If coolers are allowed by your local health authority, keep a thermometer in the cooler and monitor it at least every 4 hours.

Oven thermometers: An oven thermometer will help you to know if your oven is working properly. Do not use it as a measure of doneness of food cooked in the oven.

Bimetallic oven thermometer (glass face for use in oven): Reads in 1-2 minutes, place 2-2 1/2" deep in thickest part of food. Can be used in roasts, casseroles, and soups. Not appropriate for thin foods. Heat conduction of metal stem can cause false high reading. Some models can be calibrated; check manufacturer's instructions