Food Safety at Events for Class 2 and 3 Food

Any business, community or not for profit group will need to notify or register with us to sell food from a temporary site. For businesses, this requirement may be in addition to a fixed premise registration.

This information relates to Class 2 or 3 food being sold at an event, usually from a temporary site and must be used in conjunction with a Food Safety Program. This may be the business' current Food Safety Program or a community group can use a template - Community group temporary and mobile food premises template - Class 2.

Food Safety at a sausage sizzle has slightly different requirements.

All set up and operations of a temporary or portable site should be in line with the Temporary Food Guidelines.

Some general things to remember are:

Hand wash station

• Food handlers must use soap and warm water to wash their hands
• Single use paper towel to be used to dry hands
• Tea towels are not to be used

Thermometer

• Always have a calibrated digital probe thermometer onsite – no dial or meat thermometers 
• Ensure that the thermometer is sterilised before it comes into contact with food. 
• Use alcohol swabs or boiling water to sterilise probe.

Food safety records

• Food Safety Records must be onsite during the event 
• Hot/cold holding and cooking temperatures need to be recorded twice during the event 
• You can use the record sheets from your Food Safety Program or the Community group temporary and mobile food premises template - Class 2

Temperature control

• High risk foods must be stored below 5 degrees Celsius. 
• This means that high-risk foods must be kept in a fridge or an esky with enough ice to maintain this temperature 
• Record cold/frozen storage unit temperatures

Cooking

• When cooking, make sure that raw food does not come into contact with cooked food 
• Foods must be cooked to at least 75 degrees celsius
• Stir/turn foods to ensure they are cooked through
• Record cooked food temperatures

Hot holding

• Once food has been cooked, it must be kept above 60 degrees celsius
• Bain maries or keeping foods on a grill/BBQ can help keep foods hot
• Record hot holding temperatures

Displaying and serving

• Different utensils and plates must be used when handling raw food and cooked food
• Food handlers must wash their hands in between handling raw and cooked foods
• Make sure you have lots of spare cooking and serving utensils

• Tongs or disposable gloves must be used when handling cooked meat and ready to eat food, such as bread or salad 
• Disposable gloves must be changed often or immediately if they tear or if the food handler changes tasks 
• Each person should have a different role – that is: one person for cooking, for serving, for handling money etc.