To ensure food safety expectations are met and to address any potential food safety concerns, event organizers should establish a monitoring program where volunteers or staff provide education and guidance to food vendors throughout the event. The monitoring checklist should emphasize the responsibilities of event organizers. The number of monitors required will vary based on the event’s size, so plan accordingly to ensure adequate coverage. After completing this section, please proceed to review Section 4: Food Safety Emergency Management Plan (EMP).

1. Essential equipment for food vendor booths

Event organizers must ensure that food vendors are equipped with the following:

  • Potable water: Ensure a reliable supply of clean, drinkable water for food preparation and hygiene.
  • Hand wash station: Provide a dedicated station with water, liquid soap, and paper towels for hand washing.
  • Tent/Canopy: Set up a tent or canopy to protect the booth and food from weather elements.
  • Garbage bins: Supply a garbage can to manage waste effectively and keep the area clean.
  • Adequate lighting: Install sufficient lighting for night events to ensure visibility and safety.

2. Food vendor sanitation

  • Maintain the area around booths clear from waste, excess vegetation, and other contamination.
  • Perform waste collection, storage, and disposal as often as necessary to maintain adequate sanitation.
  • Properly maintain liquid waste; do not dump on the ground or in storm sewers.

3. Maintenance of common areas

  • Clean and sanitize eating areas, such as tables and chairs.
  • Ensure garbage cans are not overflowing and empty them as necessary.
  • Maintain waste storage and disposal areas clean to avoid attracting pests and wildlife.

4. Washrooms and hand hygiene stations

  • Keep washrooms, including portable ones, clean and fully supplied with toilet paper.
  • Ensure hand wash sinks or hand washing stations have water, liquid soap, and paper towels.
  • Properly supply temporary hand hygiene stations with hand sanitizers of at least 70% isopropyl alcohol.

Depending on the severity of food safety issue, the following corrective actions can be taken:

1. Actions for minor food safety issues

Minor issues should be corrected immediately before they become critical issues. For example, cleaning spills, emptying garbage bins, replenishing handwashing supplies, etc.

2. Action for critical food safety issues

Critical issues could lead to an immediate health hazard, may not be corrected immediately and actions should be taken to protect the health of attendees by either suspending operations or closing the food booth. Examples includes sewage back-up/flooding, fire or numerous reports of food borne illness.

In the event of a food vendor booth closure due to a health hazard, event organizers should:

  1. Close the food booth: Suspend all food handling activities immediately,
  2. Post closure signage: Indicate that the food booth is closed to the public,
  3. Identify closure reasons: The following conditions should result in a food vendor being closed:
      1. No water (service suspended till remedied)
      2. No hand wash stations in the food preparation area (service suspended till remediated)
      3. Numerous reports of food borne illness
      4. Food not protected from contamination (environmental or pest & wildlife activity)
      5. Fire
      6. Sewage backup/flooding
  4. Notify Toronto Public Health: Contact Toronto Public Health for further directions by calling 416-338-7600 or 311.
  5. Maintain closure: Keep the food booth closed until instructed otherwise by Toronto Public Health.