Temporary Food Permitting Process 517-546-9858
What is a Temporary Food Establishment? A food establishment:  where food is served from the same location for a temporary time frame, not to exceed 14 consecutive days. Examples include a hot dog booth at a fair, and is any place where  food is processed, stored, prepared, served, or offered for sale.  It can include, but is not limited to, the following:     Mobile restaurant Rental hall Private organization serving the public Catering kitchen Food establishments do not include the following: charitable, religious, or other nonprofit organizations serving or selling home prepared food or baked goods in connection with meetings or fund-raising events. If you need to know if a temporary food license is required for your event, please call the Environmental Health Division at (517) 546-9858. Temporary Food Licensing Requirements (Click below to download) TEMPORARY FOOD PERMIT FORM (pdf format) TEMPORARY FOOD ESTABLISHMENT OPERATIONS CHECKLIST Information Needed for Application An application for a temporary food service establishment shall be made at least five (5) working days in advance of the proposed first day of operation.  The operator(s) of a temporary food service establishment may be required by the Health Officer to attend an approved training session in food service sanitation prior to the approval of the temporary license. Information needed for application include Business/establishment name Owner's name and address Owner's phone number Location (address) of event Dates of operation (permit will be valid for no more than 14 consecutive days) List of foods and beverages to be offered to the public Time equipment will be set up and ready for inspection Time food and beverages will start being served Signature of applicant Licensing Fees There are fees are for each booth, or location for each booth or unit. For fees, link to LCDPH Fee Schedule, here NOTE:  LCDPH food fees DO NOT reflect State of Michigan fees.  Contact LCDPH at 517-546-9858 for appropriate State fees. Food Source All food must come from approved sources and/or must be prepared on site in an approved facility.  Home canned and home-prepared foods are not permitted. Person in Charge Must be the permit holder or designee.  The Person in Charge must be present during all hours of operation, and must be able to demonstrate required knowledge in accordance with the Michigan Food Law 2000. Personnel
	All employees must be free from open sores and skin infections, and maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness.
	Employees may not smoke, eat, or use any form of tobacco while on duty or near food or food service equipment.
	Food may only be touched with bare hands if it will be cooked after it is touched.
	Food employees must wear hair restraints, beard restraints, and clothing that covers body hair to effectively keep hair from contacting food, equipment, utensils, single service items, etc.

No Sick Employees
Employees who are sick are very likely to spread disease while handling food.  Therefore, employees who have diarrhea, or are sneezing or coughing are not permitted to work.

Ready-to-eat Food:
Employees may not touch ready-to-eat food with their bare hands. Suitable utensils for handling
ready-to-eat food include:  

	Tongs
	Deli tissue
	Single-use disposable gloves
	Other types of dispensing equipment or handled utensils

Single Use Gloves must be:

	Worn when handling foods that will receive no further cooking
	Correctly sized to your hands
	Changed between handling raw foods and cooked or ready-to-eat foods
	Discarded when torn, contaminated, or removed for any reason
	Changed when interruptions occur in the operation
	Changed frequently to minimize the build-up of perspiration and bacteria inside the glove
	Never immersed past the cuff
	Never reused under any circumstances

Cross Contamination
Raw animal foods must be kept separate from ready-to-eat foods during storage, preparation, holding, and display.  After being used for raw animals foods, utensils and equipment must be cleaned and sanitized before being used for ready-to-eat foods.

Food Temperatures
Cooking and Hot & Cold Holding: Cold food must be held at 41 degrees F or below. Hot food must be held at 140 degrees F or above.

To significantly reduce bacteria and pathogens on raw food, the following food must be cooked to safe internal temperatures:
 

Thermometers
A metal stem thermometer must be provided to check internal temperatures of potentially hazardous hot and cold food.  The thermometer must have a range of 0-220 degrees F, and be accurate to within +/- 2 degrees F.   Each cold holding unit must have a numerically scaled thermometer accurate to within +/- 3 degrees F.

Food equipment and utensils
Bacteria can live and grow on forks, knives, spatulas, spoons, and other utensils that touch food.  To minimize the growth of bacteria and prevent contamination of food, utensils must be washed and sanitized at least every 4 hours.

Important tools and equipment:
Thermometer
Proper refrigeration and/or hot hold units
Disposable gloves
Fresh water, soap, and paper towels
Chlorine or other approved sanitizer
Sanitizer test strips
Extra utensils
Clean wiping cloths
Bucket for sanitizer