public health / air & water quality

Hosting a Safe and Healthy Food Event at WSU

These guidelines are for any WSU organization (faculty, staff or students) to plan and host an event where food will be prepared and/or served. The guidelines must be followed to help ensure people attending the event will have a safe and healthy experience.

Private and Public Food Service Events

First, determine if your event is a public food service event or a private food service event.

1. A private food service event is defined as an event with food, regardless of whether a fee is charged or not, promoted by limited word of mouth or advertising to a specific group of people. For example: an advertisement for a club, department or College potluck.
2. A public food service event is defined as an event with food, regardless of fee, promoted by advertising (word of mouth, radio, WSU announcements, Daily Evergreen, etc.) inviting the general public to attend.
   
   If your event is advertised across campus inviting the general public to attend, it is considered a PUBLIC EVENT.

Private Food Service Event

For a private event serving any type of food, including potentially hazardous foods, no permit is required from EH&S or the local health department and a caterer with a local health department permit can be used.

Campus Involvement and EH&S recommends that the Rules for Operation for Temporary Food Service Facilities are followed and use the Temperature Log for Potentially Hazardous Foods. Thermometers for checking food temperatures are available on loan at Campus Involvement (CUB 337, 5-9667) for both private and public events in Whitman County.

Public Food Service Event

Depending on the foods served, a public food event requires one of the following: 1) a Permit, 2) an Application for Exemption from Permit, or 3) No Permit. EH&S must be contacted via telephone, meeting, email or letter with a description of your event. The information required for approval depends on the complexity of your proposed food event. If you utilize a local health department permitted caterer to prepare and serve the food, a permit is not required. At WSU Pullman or in Whitman County, please contact EH&S at 509-335-3041 for further information. You may click here to fill out the permit application on-line. An events form can be picked up at Campus Involvement in CUB 337. Outside of Whitman County, contact the local health department for food event requirements or a list of permitted catereres, or EH&S at 509-663-8181, ext. 230.

Types of Public Food Service Events

There are three types of Public Food Events and they all involve advertising or inviting the general public to the event. The three types of Public Food Events are Type 1A-C - No Potentially Hazardous Foods serverd; Type 2 - Simple Menu with 1-2 Potentially Hazardous Foods and Type 3 - Complex Menu with more than 2 Potentially Hazardous Foods. The following explains these types of food events and what needs to be done in order to server food at your event.

Type 1: No Potentially Hazardous Foods Served

There are three different kinds of Type 1 events where no potentially hazardous foods are served (see below). Type 1A events serve foods which are categorically exempt foods from Washington State Food regulations and permits; Type 1B foods require an Application for Exemption from Permit; and Type 1C are "for- profit" organizaztions that need a Permit.

Type 1A - Categorically exempt non-potentially hazardous foods include:

• Baked goods (not containing creamed fillings, etc.) prepared and wrapped in a sanitary manner at home or an unapproved facility and for sale or service by a nonprofit organization (educational, charitable, religious). However a clearly placed sign stating "Food was prepared in a kitchen not inspected by a regulatory authority" must be present to inform consumers. See Type 1C below for baked goods for sale by for-profit organizations.
• Candy bars, cookies and other commercially pre-packaged non-potentially hazardous foods.
• Fruits and vegetables (excluding cut melons) - unprocessed, not ready to eat and minimally cut.
• Pre-mixed soda pop, powdered creamer, pretzels, cookies, doughnuts, cake, meat jerky and other commercially produced non-potentially hazardous ready-to-eat foods that are served without direct hand contact.
• Hot beverages (i.e. coffee, hot tea, hot apple cider) and other non-potentially non-hazardous beverages served in single-service containers.
• Frozen confections - commercially pre-packaged.
• Dry non-potentially hazardous, non-ready-to-eat foods (i.e. dry beans, dry grains, in-shell nuts, coffee beans, tea leaves, or herbs for tea).

What needs to be done:

• At least 10 working days before the event contact EH&S at 5-3041 or gpatters@wsu.edu or martyo@wsu.edu for further information. An email or a letter needs to be sent to EH&S explaining what foods will be served, etc.

Type 1B - Foods that require an Application for Exemption from Permit. These foods cannot be prepared at home or in an unapproved facility and include:

• Popcorn
• Cotton candy
• Herbs and spices
• Iced drinks
• Corn on the cob
• Whole peppers
• Roasted nuts
• Pork skins
• Caramel apples
• Chocolate-dipped ice cream bars
• Chocolate dipped bananas
• Fruits and vegetable samples for sampling (refer to application for more information).

What needs to be done:

• At least 10 working days before the event contact EH&S at 5-3041 or gpatters@wsu.edu or martyo@wsu.edu for further information and approval;
• Complete, sign and submit an Application for Exemption from Permit to EH&S.

This also requires that:

• At least one person has a valid Washington State Food Worker Card (person with the card must sign the application form and meet with EH&S if necessary);
• Adequate hand washing facilities are available while food is prepared;
• An illness and hand-washing policy that is enforced;
• Food, water and ice are from approved sources (no home preparation or storage);
• No bare hand contact of ready-to-eat foods is allowed (use disposable gloves, utensils, paper wraps, etc.);
• An accessible restroom is available;
• There is an adequate number of clean utensils or a 3 basin dishwashing facility;
• Foods are stored away from sources of contamination, and;
• All food-contact surfaces are sanitized prior to and during food preparation.

Type 1C - Baked goods and other foods for sale by “for-profit” organizations. Fund raising for and/or by a WSU recognized club or organization is not considered “for-profit”.

What needs to be done:

• At least 10 working days before the event contact EH&S at 5-3041 or gpatters@wsu.edu or martyo@wsu.edu for further information
• Complete and submit a WSU Temporary Food Establishment Permit to EH&S.
• Foods must be prepared on-site or in an approved facility (not at home).
• Refer to the additional requirements under Type 2 and follow the Rules of Operation for Temporary Food Establishment Facilities.

For all events, EH&S strongly recommends that the Rules of Operation for Temporary Food Establishment Facilities be followed to help protect the health of our community. Please contact EH&S at 5-3041 or gpatters@wsu.edu or martyo@wsu.edu for further information.

Type 2 – Simple Menu with Potentially Hazardous Foods

This is an event with one or two (1-2) potentially hazardous foods (for example, a BBQ with hot dogs and hamburgers). These foods include:

• Meat, poultry, dairy and all other foods of animal origin
• Cooked starches (potatoes, rice, pasta)
• Sliced melons and cantaloupes
• Sprouts
• Fresh herbs-in-oil and garlic-in-oil mixtures
• Cooked fruits and vegetables

What needs to be done:

• At least 10 working days before the event contact EH&S at 5-3041 or gpatters@wsu.edu or martyo@wsu.edu for further information.
• Use a caterer with a local health department permit, or;
• Complete, sign and submit a WSU Temporary Food Establishment Permit to EH&S at least 10 working days before the event. Drafts can be emailed to EH&S for review, but a signed hard copy must still be delivered to EH&S. If submitted later, the foods may not be allowed to be served. Contact EH&S at 335-3041, M-F, 8 AM-5 PM for more information.
• Foods must be prepared on-site or in a kitchen approved by the local health department (not at home).
• At least one person with a valid food worker card must oversee and be present during the food preparation and service. This individual assumes responsibility for this event and must sign the WSU Temporary Food Establishment Permit Application and meet with EH&S if necessary.
• Foods must be properly prepared, stored and served following the Rules of Operation for Temporary Food Establishment Facilities. Please have all volunteers read and sign the Rules of Operation in the space provided.
• A temperature log for all potentially hazardous foods must be maintained. The food temperature must be measured after being cooked or reheated AND at least every hour after it is prepared until it is served. A Temperature Log for Potentially Hazardous Foods is available for your use. When EH&S inspects the event, the log will be an important part of the inspection process. Failure to maintain the temperature log may prevent food from being served.

Type 3 – Complex Menu with Potentially Hazardous Foods

This is an event with three (3) or more potentially hazardous foods (refer to the list of foods under Type 2 above).

What needs to be done:

• At least 10 working days before the event contact EH&S at 5-3041 or gpatters@wsu.edu or martyo@wsu.edu for further information.
• Use a caterer with a local health department permit, or;
• Complete, sign and submit a WSU Temporary Food Establishment Permit and submit it to EH&S at least 10 working days before the event. Drafts can be emailed to EH&S for review, but a signed hard copy must still be delivered to EH&S. If submitted later, the foods may not be allowed to be served. Contact EH&S at 335-3041, M-F, 8 AM-5 PM for more information.
• Foods must be prepared on-site or in a kitchen approved by the local health department (not at home). If an off-campus kitchen is used, the local health department may require a temporary food establishment permit for the kitchen. EH&S may be able to assist you in identifying an approved kitchen and professional cooks in Whitman County.
• A professional cook with a valid food worker card and approved by EH&S may be required to oversee the preparation of the food. An individual with just a food worker card may not be sufficient. This individual assumes responsibility for this event and must sign the WSU Temporary Food Establishment Permit Application and meet with EH&S if necessary. Very large events may require additional professional cooks.
• Foods must be properly prepared, stored and served following the Rules of Operation for Temporary Food Establishment Facilities. Please have all volunteers read and sign the Rules of Operation in the space provided.
• If the food is transported from the kitchen to the serving location, the hot/cold holding and serving of the food must be supervised by a responsible person approved by EH&S with a food worker card. Transportation and hot and cold holding must be done with equipment approved by EH&S. Equipment (chaffers, coolers, transportation boxes, etc.) may be available from Dining Services and Sun Rentals.
• A temperature log for all potentially hazardous foods must be maintained. The food temperature must be measured after being cooked or reheated AND at least every hour after it is prepared until it is served. A Temperature Log for Potentially Hazardous Foods is available for your use. When EH&S inspects the event, the log will be an important part of the inspection process. Failure to maintain the temperature log may prevent food from being served.

Training can be provided by EH&S. Please contact EH&S at 335-3041 for help.

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