Food Safety at an Event

 
If you plan on selling or serving food at your event, you must remember that the safety of visitors to your event is paramount.  Ensuring that basic hygiene standards are maintained will minimise the risk of accidents or food poisoning.  You don’t want your event to be remembered for the wrong reasons.

Don’t Forget

• Always serve food in a clean environment, disinfecting any surfaces with safe cleaning products. Use paper towels to clean up surfaces or spills.
• When using disposable latex gloves for handling food products, replace them regularly. Remove gloves when handling money, or better still have someone designated to handle money who will not be touching food products.
• Keep long hair tied back, preferably under a cap or hairnet.
• Wash hands and surfaces frequently. If hand washing facilities are not available onsite, bring water for cleaning of hands and utensils.
• If you are storing or providing dairy or meat products, have adequate refrigeration.
• Have separate designated chopping boards for raw meat and fresh produce.
•  Where any of the 14 EU listed food allergens are knowingly added to a food/recipe, you must provide a list of these allergens in a written form for each food. This information must be available to customers without them having to ask for it.
• If you are providing hot drinks ensure that children cannot reach them.
• Use clean utensils and containers for serving foods.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland have excellent resources on their website with food safety guidelines for food businesses, market stalls and caterers.  See here for more information. Also www.safefood.eu has valuable information on food safety.