Food is an integral part and often the most important attraction of a special event. Therefore, it is essential that food is handled safely by food vendors to provide a safe culinary experience for event attendees. In Ontario, safe food handling is required under Food Premises Regulation 493/17. Food produced, sold, or given to public must be safe for consumption and food vendors can ensure that by following all food safety requirements. The food safety information provided below will focus on the most crucial food safety requirements at special events.
Pre-Event Activities
Food vendors participating at special events should dedicate sufficient preparation time to ensure they meet all the requirements of the event. Advance preparation will save time and effort on the day of the event where food vendors can focus on safe food production to have a successful event. Below are some of the components of this advance preparation by food vendors.
Food Vendor Package
Food vendors should consult special event organizers as early as possible to obtain the necessary food vendor package information. This package will include special event application forms which will need to be completed and submitted at least three weeks prior to the event.
Food Handler Information
There may be food safety information sessions hosted by event organizers. Therefore, food vendors should schedule some time to participate and be educated on the event specific food safety information.
Transportation of food & equipment
Food vendors can discuss their needs with event organizers in terms of safely transporting their food and food handling equipment. Ideally, food and other equipment should be transported before the event starts to avoid transportation delays which could lead to food contamination or time/temperature abuse of potentially hazardous foods,
Provision of utilities
Food vendors can also inquire as to whether utilities such as water and power will be provided by event organizers, or if it should be arranged by food vendors.
Temporary Food Structure (Food Vendor Booth)
Adequate construction, design, and layout ensure food and food preparation areas are protected from contamination. The following are components of a suitable food vendor booth which includes:
- Tent/Canopy: For outdoor events, food must be prepared and dispensed under a structure to protect food from contamination. This structure must be of sufficient size, sturdy and have a waterproof cover such as a canopy, umbrella, or tarp.
- Floors: The floor of these temporary food structures should be made from material that can be easily cleaned such as asphalt, polished concrete, plastic etc. Floors must be also sloped to prevent water accumulation. For events held on grass or exposed ground, consider providing temporary floors made of rubber or any other easily cleanable materials.
- Walls & ceilings: The walls and ceilings of temporary food structures should be made of sturdy materials to withstand inclement weather and to protect food and food contact surfaces and equipment from contamination. Despite inclement weather, food vendors should plan to have proper covers for foods, food contact surfaces and equipment to protect against contamination. For ceiling clearance requirements, contact Toronto Fire Service for further information.
- Physical barriers: There can be several barriers around cooking equipment such as barbeque grills and deep fryers, must be provided to protect the public from accidental injury and prevent unauthorized access for non-food handlers.
- Lighting: All temporary food structures should have adequate lighting to allow for safe operation of the food booth, especially for night events.
Mobile Food Premises
Mobile food vendors, such as ice-cream trucks, food trucks, hot-dog carts, etc., participating at special events are subject to the same requirements as a food booth, including the submission of a vendor package. Additional requirements that are applicable to mobile food vendors include:
- Water brought into the event must be clean, drinkable. Mobile food vendors should consult event organizers on how to replenish their water supply once on-site.
- Any solid or liquid waste generated by mobile food vendors should be collected and disposed to maintain the premise in a sanitary condition.
- Ensure all equipment on the mobile food premises are functioning properly, such as hot & cold-water tank pumps, clean water/wastewater tank gauges, and ensure there are no leaks from these tanks.
Food Safety Utilities
For special events, either food vendors bring their own utilities such as potable water and power (propane, gas, electricity) or event organizers may provide all required utilities. In either case, food vendors should have enough to ensure safe food handling.
Water supply
Food vendors must provide clean drinkable water at their food booth. Enough supply of clean water must be available for all your food safety needs such as handwashing, utensil washing, and food preparation.
Ice
If ice is used in food preparation (e.g., preparing cold drinks) or cold holding (e.g., ice bath), it must be made from clean drinkable water.
Power
Unless provided by event organizers, food vendors must provide their own supply of power (e.g., propane, generators, heat cannisters, etc.) for food production and storage (cold or hot). Consider your operation and the types of food you are offering at the event and plan for sufficient power accordingly to keep food safe.
Food Handler Certification
Approved Food Sources
All food sold or given at a special event must be from an approved source. Approved source means that the facility (kitchen) at which food was prepared, processed, or produced is inspected by a responsible regulatory body (e.g., Toronto Public Health). Food vendors must retain records of purchased foods and be able to verify food source as required.
NOTE: Food produced at home is not allowed at the special event unless that home-based food business is inspected by Toronto Public Health and any other respective public health unit.
Transporting Food
Depending on the season, safe transportation of food is an important food safety measure at special events. During summer, warm temperatures can severely impact safe food transporting if a refrigerated vehicle is not used. Similarly, during winter, maintaining foods hot can be challenging. The following are key measures on safe transportation of perishable foods during winter and summer months:
Transporting food during summer
- Transport cold foods in cold holding units or insulated coolers that will maintain the internal temperature at 4°C or colder.
- Avoid leaving cold food coolers in direct sunlight or on a warm surface and ensure the lid of coolers is closed.
- Never leave food containers in a hot vehicle.
- Ensure cooler and refrigerated truck temperatures are kept at 4°C or below
- Provide accurate indicating thermometers in cold holding units to monitor food temperatures.
Transporting food during winter
- Transport hot foods in hot holding units or insulated containers that will keep the food temperatures at 60°C (140°F) or above.
- When transporting water for handwashing or other sanitation purposes, ensure water containers are insulated to prevent freezing.
- Provide accurate indicating thermometers in hot holding units to monitor food temperatures.
Hand Hygiene
Hand washing is one of the most important steps to prevent food contamination and disease transmission. Hands must be washed after using washrooms, before resuming food production and when changing tasks.
Self-contained or temporary hand washing stations are required for all food vendors conducting any on-site food preparation, including but not limited to cooking, reheating, portioning, serving, etc.
Hand washing stations
- It is strongly recommended that vendors provide self-contained portable hand washing station with a container that provides a flow of hot & cold potable water,
- Temporary handwashing stations can also be set-up station which consists of:
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- Water jug with spigot filled with clean water
- Bucket to catch the wastewater
- Liquid soap
- Paper towels
Please note: Any food vendor booth not providing a temporary or a self-contained portable hand washing station with the required supplies, will be closed and/or operations suspended.
Hand sanitizing stations
- Hand sanitizers do not replace the requirements for a portable self-contained hand washing station in food vendor booths.
- Food vendors who are handling low-risk, non-hazardous foods can have hand hygiene stations equipped with hand sanitizer of at least 70% isopropyl alcohol,
Using a Thermometer
Food vendors should utilize accurate thermometers (e.g., accurate indicating & probe thermometers) to ensure food safety. Accurate indicating thermometers must be provided in all hot and cold storage units such as coolers, refrigerators, freezers, warmers, and display units as it records the ambient temperature of the storage unit. Use an accurate probe thermometer to check the internal temperature of cooked and reheated food for at least 15 seconds such that:
- Insert the probe thermometer in several spots and in the thickest part of the meat,
- Probe thermometer should not touch bone to avoid inaccurate temperatures,
- Probe thermometer must be washed and sanitized between uses to prevent cross-contamination.
Safe Food Handling
Food storage: hot and cold
- Potentially hazardous foods that must be stored at 4°C or colder inside a fridge, freezer, or insulated coolers with icepacks
- Potentially hazardous foods that must be stored at 60 °C or hotter must be stored inside hot holding units, covered chafing dishes with heat source, insulated storage containers, etc.
- Frozen foods must be thawed inside a refrigerator or cooler and not left at ambient temperatures, especially during summer
Food preparation/handling
- Preparation of food at the event should be limited to final assembly and cooking
- All other food preparation prior to the event should be done at an inspected food premises. This includes chopping ingredients, marinating, mixing and other forms of food processing
- All food contact surfaces, and equipment must be smooth, non-absorbent, and easy to clean, such as food grade rigid plastic (e.g., cutting boards), aluminum, or stainless-steel (e.g., spoons, forks, knives, etc.)
Safe cooking and reheating
- Review Safe Cooking Temperatures
- Foods must be reheated to their original cooking temperatures and should be verified using a probe thermometer
- Hot holding units such as steamtables, chaffing dishes, display/drawer warmers etc. are not considered cooking equipment and are not to be used for reheating food
Food service, sampling & display
- Use clean disposable food containers and utensils to serve, sample or display food.
- Protect food from contamination by covering with a lid, plastic wraps, aluminium foil or provide sneeze guards when food is displayed in buffet style.
- Provide condiments safely by providing separate containers with self-closing lids with dispensers or provide individual packaged condiments.
Food Storage Equipment
Food storage equipment used at special event must be made of food grade materials. Food vendors must carefully plan their food storage equipment needs based on their operation and types of foods they are offering at the event. The following is a list of appropriate food storage equipment:
- Racks, shelves, or pallets that are used to store food must be designed to protect food from contamination and must be easily cleanable. Avoid using wooden racks, shelves, or pallets when events are held on grass or exposed ground as it can absorb moisture and cannot be easily cleaned
- Store food in food-grade containers with lids to protect against contamination such as glass, stainless-steel, or plastics. Non-food grade storage plastics such as black garbage bags are not to be used to store food as there are toxins associated with garbage bags than can leach into foods
- All equipment must be in good working condition. Any chipped, cracked, or otherwise damaged equipment must not be used in food storage
Food Handler Requirements
Food handlers participating at special event must:
- Be free from infection or carrying communicable diseases.
- Be not infected with wounds, open sores, and boils.
- Be free from acute respiratory infection(s).
- Wear clean clothes, aprons, and hair restraints such as hairnets or caps while handling food.
- Not be eating, drinking, or smoking in food preparation areas or while preparing food.
Cleaning Chemicals and Sanitation of Multiuse Utensils
Food vendor should utilize single-use cutlery for food service, sampling, and display; however, if using multiuse utensils (e.g., pots, pans, and cooking equipment, etc.) periodic washing and sanitizing will be required, as necessary. To properly wash multiuse utensils, the following must be applied:
Utensil washing
- Provide an adequate supply of clean water and cleaning supplies for washing and sanitizing of multiuse utensils, equipment, and food contact surfaces
- Where a two-compartment sink is available, ensure multiuse utensils are washed and rinsed in the first sink and sanitized in the second sink
- Provide drainage or drying racks to airdry multiuse utensils
Utensil sanitizing
- Approved sanitizers such as chlorine bleach or quaternary ammonia (Quats) can be used to sanitize multiuse utensils. A mixture of chlorine and water should be prepared at a minimum concentration of one hundred parts per million (ppm) and in case of Quats, the mixture should be at least 200 ppm
- For sanitizing of surfaces, the strength of the sanitizer should be at least double to that of multiuse utensils. Chlorine sanitizers should be prepared at minimum 200 ppm and Quats at 400 ppm, respectively
- Provide proper cloths and/or sponges for cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces and equipment. Cloths should be immersed in sanitizer while not in use
- Cleaning chemicals and sanitizers must be properly labelled and stored away from food
Waste Storage and Removal
Solid and liquid waste must be stored and disposed in a sanitary manner to ensure sanitation of food vendor booths. This can be achieved by:
- Providing adequate supply of plastic garbage bags and containers
- Making available garbage containers that are durable, washable, and leak/pest-proof with a secure lid
- Containing all liquid waste such as cooking oil or wastewater from handwashing and utensil washing using leak-proof containers for safe disposal
- Not discharging liquid waste on grass or roads. Instead, liquid waste must be hauled away periodically based on the size of your operation to ensure sanitation of food vendor booth
Pest Control
Food must be protected from contamination by pests and wild animals. Follow the steps below to prevent pest activity at your food vendor booth:
- Store food and waste in pest proof containers with tight fitting lids, especially for night storage.
- Keep food storage containers above ground and away from walls using shelves that are at least fifteen centimetres or six inches off the floor.
- Provide adequate lighting for all food/waste storage areas.
- Remove any food waste/debris from the perimeter of the food booth as not attract pests.
- Consult with event organizers about acquiring professional pest control companies to provide their services (if required).
Food Safety Emergency Management
Food booth closure
Food vendor booths will be closed, or operations suspended for any of the following reasons:
- Numerous reports of foodborne illness
- There are no hand wash stations with appropriate supplies (clean water, liquid soap, paper towels)
- No potable water onsite
- Food is not protected against contamination
- Fire
- Pest/wildlife activity
- Sewage back-up or flooding inside the booth
Food booth operations can be suspended temporarily if the health hazard can be removed immediately such as providing handwashing stations or bringing clean water etc. If a health hazard cannot be rectified immediately such as fire, sewage back-up/flooding, etc. food vendors will have to close their booths and not open until advised by event organizers.
Smoke Free Ontario Act, 2017
- Smoking of tobacco, cannabis or vaping any substance is not allowed in all indoor public spaces and other designated outdoor public spaces
- Applies to patios and beer gardens where food or drink are served during a special event
- Food vendors should post no smoking/vaping signs where appropriate (entrance to patios, common areas, near washrooms, etc.)
- Ensure there are no ashtrays or objects that can be used as ashtrays are anywhere on the patio, beer garden, or common seating areas
- For more information about how the Smoke-Free Ontario Act applies to special events and to obtain “No Smoking” signs, please contact Toronto Health Connections at 416-338-7600 or call 311
- For more information on the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, please visit the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care website: ontraio.ca/SmokeFree.