Page 29 - The Edge - Winter 2021

If You're Cooking or Preparing Food, You Need a Permit

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

canned drinks that do not require refrigeration – you event such as a fund-raiser, with food sold or even
don’t need a permit, according to Morales. given away, a special event permit is required. “We
want to make sure food is handled, stored and given
“That’s not potentially hazardous food,” he said. “If away properly,” Morales said.
you get into (selling) pies, you will need a permit.
You need more equipment with hazardous foods.”

He strongly recommended against allowing teachers
or parents to provide homemade bakery goods,
especially those that might need refrigeration. He
noted that soft drinks taste better when refrigerated,
but it’s not required, whereas milk must be kept cold.
If you have an ice machine, he said, ice is considered
an open food.

For student culinary kitchens, no permit is required
if food prepared is consumed by students or faculty,
Morales said. But if the food is going to be sold
outside the class or at an event, you will need an
eating and drinking permit.

Concession stands may be inside for, perhaps, a
basketball game, or outside for some other event. The
food is usually commercially pre-packaged, which
doesn’t require a permit. But if food is prepared Sometimes a school might invite hotdog or taco
on the premises or purchased from a vendor, such vendors with carts. “Make sure mobile food vendors
as pizza, chicken, hotdogs, hamburgers or tuna have permits that are displayed,” he said.
sandwiches that need temperature control, you will
need a permit, Morales said. “Any outdoor cooking Among the things to look out for with respect to a
needs a permit,” he said. special event are having the proper equipment to
maintain required temperatures, an approved water
“Sometimes you have a parent source (not irrigation water), separate sinks for hand
washing and other needs, and a proper power source.
offer to cook food at home. That is
absolutely not allowed – that is not “Sometimes a power source is overlooked,” Morales
said. “Everybody plugs in and breakers are tripped.”
an approved source.”

A catering permit is needed if a school sells food to David Morales of the Maricopa County Environmental Service
other schools. For catering, you need to know the Department can be reached at (602) 506-6072.
number of meals to be prepared for pre-arranged
locations. You can’t drive around neighborhoods
looking for potential buyers. In addition, you must
have the proper equipment to keep food at required
temperatures.If your school is going to stage a special

29