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Home My WebLink AboutTFF Operator's Guide Temporary Food Facility Many people do not think about food safety until a food-related illness affects them or a family member. Preventing foodborne illness remains a major public health challenge. To reduce the occurrences of food related illnesses, Riverside County Environmental Health Specialists inspect food establishments, including Temporary Food Facilities, to ensure safe and sanitary food practices are in place. The same food handling and sanitation practices apply at a temporary food facility as they would at a permanent food facility. Temporary food facility operators should be aware that a foodborne illness outbreak can occur if they do not properly handle food. Factors contributing to foodborne illness include:  Temperature abuse of food during storage or transport  Improper cooking temperatures of food  Lack of hygiene and sanitation by food handlers  Foods from unsafe sources  Inadequate cleaning of equipment and utensils This guide has been developed to assist you in operating a safe and sanitary temporary food facility, while complying with the requirements of California Health and Safety Code as well as Riverside County Codes. Temporary Food Facility (TFF) – A food facility approved by the enforcement officer that operates at a fixed location for the duration of an approved community event or at a swap meet. Community Event – An event that is of civic, political, public, or educational nature, including state and county fairs, city festivals, circuses, and other public gathering events approved by the local enforcement agency. The city hosting the event may need to approve it and issue a special event permit. A TFF must be part of a community event and may not operate independently of a community event. Event Coordinator – The person or organization responsible for organizing the event and purchasing the event group permit for all participating food vendors. Prepackaged Food – Any food that is given away or sold while it is still in its original packaging from the manufacturer. Examples include cans of soda, wrapped candy, and packaged snacks like potato chips. Whole and uncut produce is also considered prepackaged food. Open Food – Any other food service other than what is described under the definition of prepackaged food is considered open food. Food that requires any kind of cooking, preparation, portioning, sampling, etc., is considered to be open food. Potentially Hazardous Food (PHF) – A food that requires time or temperature control to limit the growth of illness causing bacteria. Examples of PHF include but are not limited to raw and cooked meats, dairy products, soy products, cooked vegetables, cooked potatoes, cooked pasta, cooked beans, cooked rice, bean sprouts, cut tomatoes, and cut melons. Definitions Obtaining a Permit Before you can sell or even give away food to the public, you are required to have a valid health permit for the event. The health permit is only valid for the specified event date. Riverside County Environmental Health has (2) two types of event permits: Occasional and Temporary Event. Occasional Event is a community event that is operated at a fixed location for no more than 3 days in a 90 day period. Temporary Event is a community event that is operated at a fixed location for no more than 25 days in a 90 day period. Event Coordinator Requirements *Documents can be obtained at www.rivcoeh.org or from a local Environmental Health office. The event coordinator is responsible for running the community event and ensuring that the TFFs have provided what is needed to operate in compliance. The event coordinator is responsible for initiating the permitting process, completing and submitting all required documents at least 10 business days prior to the event, including:  Event permit or written approval from the city where the event will be located or the county if located in an unincorporated area  Application to Operate a Temporary Food Facility* (including payment of fees)  Temporary Food Facility Community Event Coordinator’s Application* (The organizer fee listed will be waived if this application is submitted at least 10 business days prior to the event.) Event permits must be obtained at least 10 business days prior to the start of the event. TFF Operator Requirements The operator of the TFF booth is required to complete and submit the following documents prior to the event:  Community Event Temporary Food Facility Operator’s Agreement Form*  Kitchen Agreement Letter*, if applicable Mobile Food Preparation Units Mobile food preparation units (food trucks/trailers) without an annual permit from Riverside County Environmental Health may operate at community events but must be listed on the event coordinator’s application and must comply with all TFF requirements described in this guide. In addition to general food protection, personal hygiene, and sanitization requirements for all food operations, food trucks must provide proper connections to fresh water and sewer or utilize installed fresh and waste tanks if sufficient in capacity.  Freshwater supply lines (hoses designed for potable water) are usually white with a blue stripe. These hoses must be stored in a clean and sanitary manner.  Waste water hoses should be black.  All connections must be tight and leak-free. Booth Construction Requirements TFFs who offer pre-packaged food only and do not conduct any preparation, including samples, do not require a fully enclosed booth. However, some form of overhead protection must be in place over all food and food storage areas. Food samples must be given to customers in a prepackaged state. All TFF operators who prepare and store open foods must do so inside a fully enclosed and approved area, such as a booth. The following structural requirements must be met: Canopy 16 Mesh Screen Tarp, canvas, or wood walls Ceilings  Solid roof constructed of canvas or tarps (such as a canopy). Walls  Booth must have 4 walls constructed of smooth, durable, and easily cleanable materials such as canvas, tarps, or 16-mesh fine screening.  Food service windows must not be larger than 216 square inches and must be at least 18 inches apart. Windows must be covered with screening when not in use.  Screening must cover food service windows and other openings to minimize the entrance of insects and food contaminants. Floors  Constructed of concrete or asphalt, a tarp, or sealed wood kept clean and in good repair. Grass or dirt floors are not acceptable and must be covered. Business Signage Each operator must display on the booth the following information: 216 sq. in max 16” 13.5”” Business Name (3”) City, State, Zip Code (1”) Owner Name (1”) Min. 18” Handwashing Sink All TFFs with open food must have an approved handwashing sink. Handwashing sinks must be located inside of each TFF and may not be shared with another TFF. Sink must be properly supplied with a pump soap dispenser, single use paper towels, and a catch basin for wastewater. Events lasting more than 3 days:  A sink with pressurized hot and cold running water Events lasting less than 3 days:  A simplified setup consisting of at least 5 gallons of preheated water (100ºF) in a container with a free-flowing spigot that provides a continuous flow of water, leaving both hands free for washing (no push buttons). The handwashing sink must be completely setup and supplied before any food preparation begins.  Facility Name (min. 3” letters)  Operator Name (min. 1” letters)  City (min. 1” letters)  State (min. 1” letters)  Zip Code (min. 1” letters) Dishwashing Sink All TFFs that prepare food must have a 3-compartment dishwashing sink where utensils and equipment can be washed, rinsed, and sanitized. Up to four (4) TFFs may share a common dishwashing sink if it is centrally located and adjacent to those sharing. The sink must provide the following:  Hot and cold potable running water from a mixing valve  Drain boards  Overhead protection  20 gallons of water supply per booth for dishwashing (this does not include water for food preparation)  Waste water tank that is at least 50% greater in size than the fresh water supply Ex:20 gallon potable supply = 30 gallon waste tank For events of 3 days or less, alternative methods for dishwashing may be approved by the local enforcement agency. TFFs operating for 4 hours or less per day at a single event, in lieu of a dishwashing sink, may provide an adequate supply of utensils and spare utensils that have been properly washed and sanitized at an approved food facility. Mobile 3-compartment sink Booth Construction Requirements Cooking Equipment If you intend to bring any cooking equipment to your event, please ensure you provide a fire retardant tent for your enclosure. All cooking equipment, other than barbecues, are required to be inside the booth.  If the local fire department requires any open flame or grease producing cooking equipment to be outside of the booth, cooking equipment must be monitored throughout the event.  If at any time during the event, environmental conditions prohibit the safe production of food outside of the booth (i.e. wind, dust, rain, insects), the Environmental Health inspector will determine what type of cooking equipment will be allowed for use outside of the booth.  Contact the local fire department with questions regarding fire extinguishers or fire regulations for cooking equipment inside the booth. Other Required Equipment Cold holding units capable of keeping food at or below 41ºF: Food Contact Surfaces All food contact surfaces such as cutting boards and food preparation tables must be made of durable and easily cleanable food grade materials. Mechanical refrigerators Hot holding units capable of keeping food at or above 135ºF: Ice chests Freezers Steam Table Chaffing Dish Product name Location of where food was made Net weight or count Ingredients Operational Requirements Food Preparation and Approved Source v Prepackaged Food Labels Prepackaged food sold directly to the customer must be prepared and packaged at an approved food facility. Foods must be clearly labeled with the following information: All food preparation must take place inside the booth or in an approved kitchen. An approved kitchen is a food facility that is permitted and inspected by a government agency. If you plan to prepare your food at an approved kitchen, you must submit a completed “Kitchen Agreement Letter” to this department prior to the event. All food that is sold or given away from a TFF must be from an approved retail source and remain free from contamination. Save all sales receipts in the event the inspector requests verification of the source of the purchased food. No food may be stored or prepared at a private home if it is to be sold or given away to the public except for registered and/or permitted Cottage Food Operations. Operational Requirements Handwashing The easiest and most effective way to protect your customers from foodborne illness is proper handwashing. Hands must be properly washed before starting food preparation and after any activity that may contaminate your hands such as going to the restroom, smoking, handling raw meats, coughing, sneezing and eating. The proper process to wash your hands is as follows:  Wet hands with warm water  Lather hands with liquid hand soap from a pump style dispenser  Scrub hands for 10-15 seconds  Rinse with warm running water  Dry hands using a clean, single-use paper towel Bare hand contact with foods should be avoided, particularly when handling ready-to-eat foods. Disposable gloves may be used but must be changed as often as hands should be washed. Hands must also be washed when changing gloves to avoid contamination of clean gloves. Hand sanitizers are allowed but are not a replacement for handwashing. Food workers must practice good personal hygiene.  Clothing should be clean and long hair restrained.  Hands and forearms should be free of skin injuries.  No employees shall be sick while working.  Smoking is prohibited near the outside BBQ or inside the booth. Personal Hygiene Food Cooking & Holding Temperatures  Hot Food PHF must be held at 135ºF or hotter. Hot foods must be discarded at the end of the day and may not be cooled and stored for later use. When cooking PHFs make sure to cook to the correct internal temperature using a probe thermometer in the thickest part of the food. Refer to the chart below for proper temperatures. Probe thermometer Use a probe thermometer to regularly check food temperatures. Operational Requirements  Cold Food PHF must be held at 41ºF or colder. Food may be held at 45ºF or below for 12 hours or less but must be discarded at the end of the day. Food Protection and Storage All food must be protected from contamination. This can be done by:  Storing food in approved food grade containers with lids.  Storing food at least 6” off the ground.  Protecting food from exposure to the elements, access of rodents and other vermin, as well as temperature abuse.  Dispensing condiments from a squeeze bottle, pump dispenser, individual packets or containers with self- closing lids.  Not allowing live animals inside the booth or within 20 feet of the booth. Food holding equipment such as chaffing dishes, steam tables or food preparation tables, must be at least 3 feet away from food service windows. Ice is a food item and should be protected the same as any other food. Ice that is used for drinks or snow cones should be stored in approved containers, separate from ice used for food storage and cooling.  Outdoor BBQs  Only foods that can be placed directly on the grill may be cooked on an outdoor BBQ. No foil, pans, bowls, trays or other containers may be placed on the outdoor BBQ.  All foods that are going to be cooked on an outdoor BBQ must be stored inside the booth until ready to be immediately cooked.  Cooked foods may not be stored outside the booth or on the outdoor BBQ. Once foods have been cooked, they must be stored inside the booth.  All food must be prepared and stored inside the booth, including cutting of meats.  The outdoor BBQ must have at least 4 feet of clearance between the grill and the public. Operational Requirements Dishwashing Chlorine Test Strips Quaternary Ammonium Test Strips Iodine Test Strips  Test strips must be available for testing the sanitizer concentration. Make sure the testing strips match the type of sanitizer you are using. Waste Disposal  All liquid waste must drain to an approved sewer system.  Solid waste must be placed in leak proof containers and disposed of properly. Restrooms Restrooms must be available within 200 feet and have hot and cold running water, liquid soap and paper towels. This is a checklist of items Environmental Health looks for when performing Temporary Food Facility (TFF) inspections. Use this to review your operation prior to opening. We suggest that you carefully go through and “check off” those items that are in compliance. Those not checked would be considered a “violation” during our inspection, and need to be corrected. This checklist will assist you in maintaining your facility at the highest standards. PERMIT  TFF has a valid health permit to operate at the community event approved by the Department of Environmental Health.  Each booth has a person in charge. BOOTH CONSTRUCTION  Booth is fully enclosed with roof and 4 sides (for open food).  Pass-thru windows are no larger than 216 sq. inches.  Floor is cleanable, well maintained and in good repair.  Wall screening is 16 mesh per square inch.  Signage is clearly visible to customers (Name of facility in 3” letters; city, state, ZIP code, and owner name in 1” letters).  Adequate lighting is available during evening hours. HANDWASH STATION  Handwash sink with pressurized hot and cold water is available inside the booth for TFFs operating for more than 3 days or a simplified setup for TFFs operating for 3 days or less.  Pump soap and paper towels available.  Catch basin for wastewater. DISHWASHING SINK  An approved 3-compartment dishwashing sink with hot and cold running water, soap and sanitizer.  Dishwashing sink is located within 200 feet of booth.  Dishwashing sink has adequate overhead protection. Self-Checklist for Temporary Food Facilities FOOD  Food is purchased from an approved source (keep receipts on-site).  Food is not prepared or stored in a private home, except for registered or permitted Cottage Food Operations.  Approved “Kitchen Agreement Letter” for food made at an approved kitchen and not made on-site.  All food is stored at least 6” off the floor.  Food and food related products are protected from dirt, overhead leakage and other forms of contamination.  All food storage containers have tight fitting lids and are properly labeled.  Ice used for refrigeration purposes (e.g., cooling cans of soda, etc.) is not used for consumption in food or beverages. TEMPERATURE CONTROL  Adequate equipment to maintain potentially hazardous food at 41ºF and below (coolers or refrigerators) or 135ºF and above (steam tables or chaffing dishes) is available.  An accurate metal probe thermometer is readily available and actively used to measure internal food temperatures.  Food is cooked* to the proper internal temperature for at least 15 seconds:  165ºF for poultry, stuffed fish and meat, or reheated foods  155ºF for hamburgers, sausage, injected meats and eggs  145ºF for single pieces of meat and fish or eggs cooked to order * Foods cooked per request do not need a minimum cooking temperature. Written “Disclosure” and “Reminder” must be provided to customer Temporary Food Facilities DES-255 (REV. 02/19) FOOD HANDLERS  Employees wash their hands with soap and warm water (min. 100ºF) at the following times:  Before starting work  Immediately after using the restroom  Any time hands have become contaminated  Employees handling food or utensils have no open sores and are not sick.  Employees have clean outer garments.  Hair is properly restrained.  When possible, tongs or other utensils, rather than bare hands, are used for preparing or serving food.  Employees do not smoke or use tobacco inside the booth. UTENSILS/EQUIPMENT/CHEMICALS  Approved dishwashing method is used (wash, rinse, sanitize, air dry).  Required minimum sanitizer concentration used:  Chlorine (bleach) 100 ppm for 30 seconds  Quaternary Ammonium 200 ppm for 1 minute  Test strips available to test sanitizer concentration.  All utensils are clean, sanitized and in good repair.  All utensils are properly protected from contamination.  All pieces of equipment (i.e., stoves, grills, tables, sinks, etc.) is clean and in good repair.  Food contact surfaces are properly cleaned and sanitized.  Sanitizer and cleaning chemicals are available, labeled and stored away from food, food contact surfaces or utensils.  BBQ is separated from the public by using rope or other approved method. WATER AND SEWAGE  Potable water is used for cooking, utensil washing and hand washing.  Public water supply connection is protected with an approved backflow device.  All wastewater drains to an approved sewer system. Self-Checklist Approved dishwashing method is used (wash, rinse, sanitize, air dry). Potable water is used for cooking, utensil washing and hand washing. TRASH  Trash is kept in leak-proof and rodent-proof containers.  Outside trash container lids are kept closed.  Trash is removed as necessary so as not to create a nuisance.  Outside premises are clean and well maintained. RESTROOMS  Available within 200 feet of booth.  Approved handwashing facilities are provided. PEST CONTROL/ANIMALS  Booth is free of insects and rodents.  Outside doors/screens are closed during preparation/operation.  Live animals are kept at least 20 feet away from booth. QUESTIONS? Contact your nearest Riverside County Environmental Health office and ask to speak to a specialist or visit our website at www.rivcoeh.org. THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE SERIOUS AND MAY PREVENT YOUR TFF FROM APPROVAL UNTIL RESOLVED:  No enclosure  No potable water  No hot water  No electricity (when required for refrigeration, lighting, etc.)  No sanitizer  Food from an unapproved source  No hand wash station in place prior to food preparation  Inclement weather conditions hinders proper sanitation  Overflowing sewage (inside or outside)  Actual or potential threat to public health and safety (foods out of temperature, unapproved food source, inadequate sanitization, etc.) RIVERSIDE COUNTY 1 2,3 4 5 6 7 8 Corona 2275 Main St, Suite 204 Corona, CA 92882 (951) 273-9140 1 Murrieta 30135 Technology Dr, Suite 250 Murrieta, CA 92563 (951) 461-0284 4 Hemet 800 S. Sanderson Ave, Suite 200 Hemet, CA 92545 (951) 766-2824 5 Palm Springs 554 S. Paseo Dorotea Palm Springs, CA 92264 (760) 320-1048 6 Indio 47-950 Arabia St, Suite A Indio, CA 92201 (760) 863-8287 7 Blythe 260 N. Broadway Blythe, CA 92225 (760) 921-5090 8 2 Riverside - Main Office 4065 County Circle Dr, Suite 104 Riverside, CA 92503 (951) 358-5172 Riverside - Downtown 3880 Lemon St, Suite 200 Riverside, CA 92501 (951) 955-8980 3 OFFICE LOCATIONS www.rivcoeh.org • (888) 722-4234