Application for a Temporary Food Service Permit (2023)

10 JOHNSTON COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT 309 East Market Street , Smithfield , NC 27577 Phone 919 - 989 - 5180 Fax 919 - 989 - 5190 Email ehapplications @ johnstonncgov APPLICATION FOR A TEMPORARY FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT Procedure for Application Submission This completed Application and the required 7500 Fee can be submitted to this office via Mail or Hand Delivery to the address listed above It can also be emailed to the email address listed above After emailing , the fee can then be paid over the phone with a card by calling 919 989 - 5180 The Application and Fee of 7500 must be received in our office at a MINIMUM of 15 days prior to the start of the event Name of set - up ex Danas Concession ____________________________________________________ Applicant Name _ __________________________________ Email ______________________________ Mailing Address ______________________________________________ Phone ___________________ Festival _ __________________________________ Set - up Location _ ____________________________ What days will you operate _ ______________________ What hours of operation _ ________________ What foods will you prepare or serve ______________________________________________________ ____ _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ _________________________________________________________________________________ Will you have screening or siding on the TFE YES NO If no , how will you protect against flies , insects , dust , rain and other contamination __________________ ____ _________________________________________________________________________________ How will handwashing be addressed in the TFE ______________________________________________ Will you have a water hook - up YES NO If yes , must have a backflow preventer If no , how will the TFE supply running water under pressure ____________________________________ How will cooking utensils , pots and pans be cleaned and sanitized at the TFE _ ______________________ ____ _________________________________________________________________________________ Size of wastewater storage container _ _____________________________________________________ How will you dispose of wastewater from the TFE _ __________________________________________ What are your means of refrigeration _ ___________________________________________________ The TFE must be inspected prior to operation , how will you make yourself available ________________ ____ _________________________________________________________________________________ If you have a mobile unit what county are you permitted in _____________________________________ If you are a Mobile Food Unit , what is your License Plate Number ________________________________ STATEMENT I hereby certify that the above information is correct , and I fully understand that ANY deviation from the above without prior approval from the Local Health Department may nullify the application Signature of applicant _____________ ______________________________ Date __________________PageRequirements for a Temporary Food Service Establishment Operation Application The application must be completed and submitted to this Department at a minimum of 15 days prior to the start of the event This will give time for review and to make any changes as needed Permit to Operate Before the event starts , an Environmental Health Specialist will visit your site compare the application to the TFE setup , and if all requirements are met a PERMIT TO OPERATE will be issued No food service or food preparation is allowed on the site until you have received this permit Your acceptance of this permit implies that you agree to keep the site as originally permitted throughout the event and that you agree to operate in accordance with all statutes , rules , regulations , and any specific conditions which may be included on the permit Health Department personnel will be on duty during the event to monitor food service operations and to provide guidance where applicable During operation you may be asked to remedy problems observed by the Environmental Health Specialist TFE Structure Temporary food establishment operations must be conducted in a tent or other approved enclosure trailer with a roof that will keep out rain , dust , dirt , insects , and other contamination Any canopy or tent structure under which cooking operations are being conducted must be flame resistant and have a tag permanently affixed to the canopy indicating that it is flame resistance The food vendor should check with the local fire department for verification of the correct type of tent A TFE shall be located in clean surroundings and kept in a clean and sanitary condition Protection against flies and other insects shall be provided by screening or by effective use of fans Floor Start with a clean space and keep it clean Concrete , asphalt , and such street surfaces are accepted If the flooring of the TFE consist of grass , dirt or gravel this area must have indoor outdoor carpeting , matting , tarps , or similar nonabsorbent material This material must be maintained at all times If grease is spilled onto any flooring clean up must take place immediately Hand washing TFE workers shall be provided with a convenient way to wash their hands This must consist of a hand sink with hot and cold water from a faucet , or a two - gallon container with an unassisted free flowing faucet such as a stopcock or tum spout , soap , single - use towels and a waste - water receptacle Sneeze guards Food and food contact surfaces exposed to the public , dust , or to insects shall be protected by glass , or otherwise , on the front , top , and ends Cleaning of Equipment and Utensils All equipment and utensils must be cleaned thoroughly and maintained in a sanitary condition throughout the event In order to achieve sanitary conditions at least a single vat sink , equipped with running water under pressure capable of holding the largest utensil used during the operation shall be provided Water shall be from an approved source , safe for consumption , and of sanitary quality This means water cannot be used from an unapproved well or community water supply not regulated by the State of North Carolina Running water may be achieved by positioning a cooler or beverage urn with a stop cock nozzle above the sink basin You must have at least one drain board or adequate countertop space to use along with the washing operation Three basins of sufficient size to submerge , wash , rinse , and sanitize utensils shall be provided along with drainboards or counter space for air drying Sources of Food All foods must be clean , wholesome , free from adulteration , and obtained from an approved source If food is brought in from out - of - state it must be purchased or prepared in a facility inspected by the Department of Agriculture ALL FOOD must be kept in original packaging until permit has been issued Receipts will be helpful if food is not in boxes Storage Nothing is allowed on the floor or ground except equipment with legs or nonabsorbent , empty crates Stored items wrapped or not , must be off the floor and under roof at all times PageTransport of Foods All foods must be protected while in transit between the source and the TFE Transport containers must be able to maintain proper temperatures , keep out contamination , and be non - absorbent and cleanable Hamburgers and Poultry Hamburger and poultry must be provided in a ready to cook form from the supplier Hamburger must come in preformed in patties separated by clean paper or other wrapping material Poultry must come from the processor precut into individual portions that are ready to cook In other words , you cannot make patties or cut chicken at the TFE All food must come in a ready to cook form Prohibited foods Potentially hazardous foods , such as cream - filled pastries and pies , or salads that contain potato , chicken , ham , and crab , cannot be prepared or served from a TFE Garden vegetable salads can be prepared if the vegetables are bought pre - washed from the supplier or washed on site in a vegetable prep sink only , not a utensil sink Food Cooking Temperatures Cook poultry to 165 ° F , pork to 145 ° F , steak to 145 ° F , fish to 150 ° F , hamburgers or sausage to 155 ° F all internal temperatures Hot Holding Foods Holding units must be able to keep foods at or above 135 ° F until served Cold Food Temperatures All potentially hazardous foods shall be held at 41 degrees or less Refrigerators must have properly working thermometers Temperatures must be monitored all during the event If chest coolers are used for cold food storage ice shall be provided to maintain proper temperatures The ice shall not directly touch the food The food or ice shall be in a leak proof container Only thaw potentially hazardous foods by refrigeration , microwave , or cooking Do not leave out in the open air Metal Stem Thermometer All TFES must provide an accurate thermometer 0 - 220 scale or digital Workers must monitor food temperatures frequently Use the thermometer to be sure that all are cooked internally to the proper temperatures and cold foods are held 135 degrees Drinks Drinks served shall be limited to packaged , canned , or bottled drinks , packaged milk , coffee , or carbonated beverages from approved dispensing devices Lemonade Orangeade , fresh fruit smoothies , tea , or any other drink not mentioned cannot be made in the TFE but can be brought already prepared from an approved source approved by the Health Department and served from an approved dispensing device Sanitizing After cleaning of equipment and utensils they must be properly sanitized The most common sanitizer is bleach water Once the equipment and utensils are washed and rinsed at the sink submerge or spray on 100 ppm of sanitizer solution and let air dry If basins are used the third basin should be sanitizer To make sure the sanitizing solution is of proper strength test strips will be needed for checking the solution Hot Water Heated water must be provided for hand wash basin and utensil sink The minimum equipment acceptable for the provision would be a pot of water on a stove , hot hold unit , or a separate coffee maker Communicable Diseases All employees working in the TFE stand must sign an employee health policy agreement Any person who has a communicable or infectious disease that can be transmitted by food or drinks , or who is a carrier , or who has a boil , infected wound , or an acute respiratory infection with cough and nasal discharge shall not be allowed to work in the TFE If a worker has a cut it must be bandaged and the worker must wear a disposable glove Hair restraints Hair nets , wrap around visors , caps should be worn by food service employees at all times PageTobacco No tobacco is to be used in any form while handling , preparing , or serving food or while in the food service area Self - service Customer self - service of food and condiments is not allowed This applies to any unpackaged condiments such as lettuce , tomatoes , pickles , onions , etc Packaged condiments such as relish , ketchup and mustard are allowed Mustard and ketchup can also be dispensed by the customer from approved pump type dispenser Wastewater and Sewage TFE waste water and sewage must be emptied into a sanitary sewer Do not empty storage tanks or catch buckets into storm drains If the event has a contract with a portable toilet agency the waste water and sewage may be emptied into these units A collection bucket or other basin can be used to hold waste water prior to disposal Garbage and Refuse Garbage and refuse shall be collected and stored in garbage containers with properly fitted lids Garbage and refuse shall be removed daily and disposed of in an approved , sanitary manner Toilets Convenient and approved toilet facilities shall be provided at a TFE Public toilet facilities provided on the grounds are acceptable if reasonably convenient , adequate and kept clean Water Source Water must come from an approved source public or private All private wells must be tested a few weeks prior to the event A backflow preventer will be required at the main source before leading off to food venders Then each food vender will need a backflow preventer when attaching their food grade hose to the main source A food grade hose is usually white with a blue stripe , if your hose does not resemble this then documentation is needed for proof of a food grade hose Other Permitting Conditions A Temporary Food Establishment TFE must operate in conjunction with public event such as a fair , festival , or carnival Mobile Food Units and Pushcarts These units already have permits to operate , but they must comply with all the requirements of their permit when operating at the event This means that The permit shall be posted so that it can be read by customers Food must come for the commissary identified on the pe1mit The whole unit must return daily to its commissary for supplies , cleaning and serv1cmg If it is impossible for the Mobile Food Unit or Push Cart permit requirements to be met , the permit will be invalid for that event The vendor will not be allowed to operate at the event unless they can meet the TFE requirements detailed in this document and a permit obtained Questions Please contact our office at 919 989 - 5180 if you have questions or want to discuss any of these requirements Page