He or she can determine if your event is covered by state or local food regulations. Even if the event is exempt, you may want to meet with the Health Inspector to review the menu and get his or her recommendations. These professionals have many years of experience in food service and are very helpful in the planning and implementation of food events. Before the food event, be sure to contact the Family Development Educator in your local UNH Cooperative Extension Office and schedule a Food Safety Training - Looking For A Safe Harbor program for the volunteers involved in the planning and implementation of the supper. In addition, you will receive the Looking For A Safe Harbor Log Book - a valuable planning and record keeping tool for volunteer food events.
Many community groups use our church's kitchen for preparing food.
When we sponsor a fund raising supper for our church members, I always clean the equipment and counter tops with hot soapy water first. Washing all the equipment, surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water is important before using the shared kitchen. After washing be sure to rinse thoroughly with hot water. You should also repeat these steps after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item.