MSU Extension 4-H Healthy Youth

This document is designed to provide information and education for 4-H staff, volunteers and youth who are coordinating and participating in food events sponsored by 4-H.
Follow the food safety best practices listed below to prevent foodborne illness at your events.

Food Safety Best Practices

CLEAN:

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food; using cell phone; using the bathroom; touching your hair, face, or money; using cleaning products; or anytime hands become contaminated.
• Wash, rinse and sanitize your cutting boards, dishes, utensils and countertops before and after preparing food.
• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. Use a vegetable brush on produce with rough skin.
• Handle money separately from food and wash your hands and change gloves after handling money.
• Wear gloves when handling all ready-to-eat foods. Always wash hands before putting on gloves.
• Wear hair restraints, including hair nets or hats when preparing food.
• Remove aprons when leaving the kitchen.
• Keep all pets out of the kitchen during food preparation and when serving food.

SEPERATE:

• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your shopping cart, grocery bags, and in your refrigerator.
• Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Wash, rinse and sanitize between uses.
• Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.
• Keep foods containing an allergen separate from those that do not (see Allergen Awareness below).

COOK:

• Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked foods and to make sure that the food is safe. Remember, color is not a reliable indicator of doneness.
• Hot foods must be held at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or higher after they have been cooked to the proper temperatures.
• Follow the recommended minimum internal cooking temperatures below:

CHILL:

• Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the refrigerator temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. The freezer temperature should be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
• Never let raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food, or cut fresh fruits or vegetables sit at room temperature for more than two hours before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Never thaw food at room temperature. There are four safe ways to thaw food: (1) in the refrigerator, (2) in cold water, (3) in the microwave, and (4) as part of the cooking process.
• Cold food must be kept cold below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Use recommended cooling methods like placing food in an ice water bath and/or dividing it into smaller portions to cool to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Once cool, place in the refrigerator at temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit for storage.

Allergen Awareness

Food allergies are an immune system response to a food protein that can cause a variety of symptoms including (but not limited to) the tingling or swelling of lips, tongue or throat, hives, digestive issues, and anaphylaxis. Allergy reactions are a serious medical emergency.

THE BIG 9: Although any food can cause an allergic reaction, there are nine that cause 90% of reactions in the United States: peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish.

CROSS CONTACT is the introduction of a food allergen to a food, equipment or food prep surface that normally does not have that allergen. For example, using tongs to pick up cheese and then using the same tongs to pick up croutons. The croutons are now contaminated with the dairy allergen and could cause a reaction for individuals who are allergic.

Do You Need a Temporary Food License?

According to the Michigan Food Law, a foodservice license is needed when food or beverage is served or prepared for carry out, immediate consumption or consumption on the premises. If your event is open to the public with no registration process or formal group, you will need to apply for and obtain a temporary food license and have your foodservice kitchen licensed to prepare the food that is sold or served to the public. Contact your local health department for questions on license applications, fees, and other topics.
(See attached flow chart as a guide.)

Examples of 4-H Food Events

The following are examples of 4-H food events and food safety guidelines to consider for each one.

FUNDRAISER FOOD EVENTS

This category would include fundraiser meals (for example, spaghetti dinners, soup suppers, breakfasts, apple pie sales or sub sales), food stands or diners at 4-H or Community Fairs or other types of food events open to the public. Food served to the public needs to be prepared in a licensed kitchen following the food safety best practices above.

SOCIAL FOOD EVENTS

This category could include club meetings with meals or snacks, awards dinners, potluck meals, and more. Potluck meals are no-fee meals where attendees bring food to share and dine together. Potluck meals can present a risk for foodborne illness due to the large variety of foods offered which are prepared in home kitchens. Time and Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) foods such as meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, etc. prepared in home kitchens can result in life threatening foodborne illness. Planning and proper hygiene and sanitizing practices can reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

All food being prepared should use the food safety best practices listed above. When utilizing caterers for events, use a licensed caterer.

CONCESSIONS

Concessions can include many types of stands that range from selling only prepackaged foods to fully cooking and/or frying foods. A license is needed unless exempt by the health department.

No matter what type of food the concession stand sells, follow these guidelines:

• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold (see above).
• Wash hands and change gloves between tasks- including handling money. Remember that gloves are not a replacement for proper handwashing, and there should be no bare hand contact with any foods.
• Do not serve food that has been prepared at home.

BAKE SALES

Bake sales run by nonprofits are exempt from licensing; however, safe food practices must still be followed. Bake sale items should only have items that do not require refrigeration or heat to be kept cold or hot. In addition to the guidelines in the previous sections, consider these food safety guidelines:

• To accommodate those with food allergies, label items with a list of all ingredients and the name of the baker.
• To reduce the risk of contamination, please individually wrap all items.
• When packaging baked goods, wear gloves, use tongs, or other utensils to minimize bare hand contact and prevent contamination.

Items recommended for a bake sale

• Bread
• Brownies
• Cakes and cookies
• Candy
• Fruit pies
• Muffins

Items not recommended for a bake sale

• Cheesecake
• Cream-filled cupcakes and doughnuts
• Custards and custard pies
• Frostings and fillings made with cream cheese
• Home-canned goods
• Meringue, pumpkin or real cream pies

Food Safety Training

Who needs certification? If you have a licensed kitchen, you must have a ServSafe Certified Manager.
All staff and volunteers working with food at your events should have basic food safety training. Options could include Cooking for Crowds classes, ServSafe classes or food safety resources. Connect with your local MSU Extension food safety team member for information on classes and resources. Also consider the age and experience of young volunteers when assigning tasks in the kitchen.

Resources

MSU EXTENSION:

• ServSafe Events
• Cooking for Crowds
• Safe Sanitizing and Disinfecting fact sheet
• Food Safety Videos: Safe Sanitizing, Using a Thermometer, Handwashing
• Food Safety Work Team Coverage Map and Staff Contact

MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

• How to Apply for a Food License website
• Applying for and Safely Operating a Temporary Food Establishment License
• Temporary Food License application
• Local Health Department Directory

MICHIGAN FOOD SAFETY:

• Allergan poster

*Unless the event is held at or food prepared at licensed kitchen. Always check with your local health department for guidelines and recommendations for specific events.