Serving food for an event?

Each person who will prepare or serve food for an Iowa State event must complete the "SafeFood 101" course in Canvas before the event. Training is not required for handling prepackaged items (wrapped candy, bottled water, bags of chips, etc.). 

Anyone with current ServSafe certification is automatically approved to serve food for an event on campus for the current academic year without completing SafeFood 101 training or renewal.

Enroll in SafeFood 101

 
 

To ensure that Iowa State food sales or service do not conflict with university food contracts and meet health and safety regulations, departments/units and other organizations must obtain approval for sales and/or service of food-related items through the University Event Authorization system.

Recognized student organizations at Iowa State may be exempt from licensing requirements when the following conditions are met:

  • The organization sells food, after approval by University Event Authorization, once per week or less (and not on two consecutive days).
  • The food sale is on Iowa State property.
  • All sales proceeds go to the recognized student organization and no members benefit personally.
  • Hand-washing stations and other health and safety best practices for temporary food establishments are utilized.

 Food to be sold must be prepared in a licensed kitchen and:

  • Catered by an approved food/beverage vendor, or
  • Prepared on site with University Event Authorization approval, or
  • Meet the requirements of bake sales as discussed below.

The above requirements do not apply to the following:

  • Food and beverage for personal consumption
  • Closed events such as departmental gatherings or student organization events for members only
  • Private tailgate parties
  • Cookouts, picnics, or potluck dinners not open for attendance by the general public or by Iowa State student and staff general population
  • Sale of pre-packaged foods (bottled water, packages of candy/chips, etc.)
  • Bake sales

  • Potentially hazardous items (including those that require temperature control) cannot be sold at a bake sale. Products typically suggested for bake sales include breads, cakes, buns, rolls, cookies, bars, and pies (but NOT items containing meat, custard, and cream).
     
  • Bake sale products must be securely wrapped or bagged in ready-to-sell amounts to protect from contamination during display. They also must have a label that identifies:
    1. Common name of the product
    2. Ingredients used
    3. Name and address of the food preparer
    4. Use of common food allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, pecans or walnuts), seafood, soybeans (not refined soybean oil), and wheat.
       
  • All student organization bake sales must be approved through the University Event Authorization system.

  • When preparing food on site (burgers, hot dogs, etc.), all food supplies must come from a commercial manufacturer or an approved source.
  • Home kitchens may not be used for preparation of food for a temporary food establishment.
  • Proper food temperatures must be maintained during transport. Transport vehicles are subject to inspection.
  • All food sales and service locations must designate appropriate and separate spaces on site for food preparation, hand washing/sanitation, and food service.
  • Food given away for free at an Iowa State event must come from an approved food and beverage vendor and must be served according to safe food handling practices.

  • Free cookouts, picnics, or potluck dinners not open to the general public or the general university student and staff population are exempt from regular food event approval rules.
  • Personal grills are not allowed on campus. Iowa State has installed stationary grills for student and staff use at various campus locations. Approved events may use commercial grills; however, Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M) must transport all grills to and from campus lawns. Contact FP&M at 515-294-0692 to coordinate. You must also contact FP&M to reserve campus space and to request trash receptacles for food events. 

As part of a course's curriculum or for an assignment in a course, students are not allowed to sell food items on campus, except for pre-packaged food items that are not considered potentially hazardous foods (includes foods that are required to be temperature controlled).

If a class would like to sell foods that are potentially hazardous and/or processed by the members of the class:

  • The class can partner with a student organization and apply for approval for the event through the online University Event Authorization system.
  • The class can apply for a temporary food license from the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. This license requires the food service to be “in conjunction with a single event.” It is not clear if such a license would be granted for class assignments.