Temporary Food Permits Guidelines
To obtain and retain a Temporary Food Permit for a function the following guidelines must be reviewed and followed carefully. These rules are designed to protect both food handlers and customers from foodborne illnesses.
General Hygiene Requirements
- Handwashing: Wash your hands before beginning work and each time you change tasks.
- Gloves: Use gloves when handling ready-to-eat food. Bare hands may only touch prepackaged or individually wrapped items.
- Hair Restraint: Wear a hairnet, hat, or bandana to keep your hair covered.
- Personal Conduct: Do not smoke, eat, or drink while working. Take a break and wash hands before returning to work.
Food Handling and Safety
- Cover Food: Keep all food covered or behind a sneeze guard when not being served. Acceptable covers include lids, plastic wrap, or foil.
- Cooking Temperatures:
- Beef: Cook to 155°F
- Poultry: Cook to 165°F
- Keep hot foods at or above 135°F
- Keep cold foods (e.g., milk and egg products) below 41°F
- Ice Usage:
- Ice used for drinks must be kept covered.
- Do not store other food items in this ice.
- Ice used to cool food items must not be used for consumption.
Prohibited or Restricted Foods
The following cannot be served without a special variance from the Sanitarian:
- Sushi or raw fish
- Wild game or other non-inspected meat
- Stuffing cooked within poultry
- Custard or pumpkin pies, pecan pies
- Cream-filled pastries
- Home-canned foods
Event-Specific Guidelines
- Have a temporary hand washing station available.
- Separate raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Use a thermometer to check the internal cooking temperature prior to serving.
- In the interest of food safety, potlucks should be for small group gatherings only.
- Prepare food no more than a few hours before the event.
- Serve food within four hours of the event start time.
- Dispose of leftover food—do not store or reuse.
Catered Events
- Food must be served within four hours of pickup or delivery.
- Dispose of leftovers after the event.
- Home-baked goods must be individually packaged by team members wearing food safety gloves before transport.
- These individual packages may be handled with bare hands at the sale location.
Only whole fruits and vegetables may be sold.
Food Service Conduct
- All food handlers must wear gloves and hair restraints.
- No eating, drinking, or tobacco use is allowed during food service.
- Staff must:
- Be in good health with no signs of communicable illness.
- Use utensils (tongs, spatulas, forks) to minimize contact.
- Serve food to customers upon request—no self-service unless items are pre-wrapped.
- Use closed containers or single-service packets for condiments like sugar or ketchup.
Tableware and Sanitation
- Reusable dishes must be washed, rinsed, sanitized, and air-dried:
- Wash with hot soapy water
- Rinse with clean water
- Sanitize (e.g., 50–100 ppm bleach solution; immerse for at least 1 minute)
- Disposable dinnerware is recommended as an alternative.
- Handle all utensils by their handles, and disposable cups from the bottom.
Pest Control
- During fly season:
- Indoors: Keep doors and windows screened or closed.
- Outdoors: Cover all food not actively being served. Use a fan to deter flies.
Reporting Illness
As soon as you become aware of a concern, YOU MUST REPORT potential food related illnesses following an event to the MU Sanitarian at 573-882-7018.
Need Assistance?
The purpose of these requirements is to protect the health of your customers and to protect you and your group as much as possible from situations involving liability for illness. These rules are intended as a guide and will not fit every situation. Should you have questions. Please call Environmental Health & Safety at 882-7018.
Environmental Health & Safety
Phone: (573) 882-7018