DALTON, Mass.—The Board of Health approved an amended version of a Temporary Food Event Informational Sheet.

 

Health Agent Agnes Witkowski and her Administrative Assistant Christina Parkington developed this information sheet to streamline the permitting process for temporary food events. 

 

Before this information sheet, Witkowski would work with event organizers to determine the vendors. Then Witkowski and Parkington would reach out to the vendors with applications and information. 

 

"There's times when we even had somebody show up as a vendor not being permitted and then they're looking for what we require. Well, this is to help organize that and to make it smoother," Witkowski said. 

 

This document will be given to the event organizer and the vendors. 

 

"I think it's just good communication, and it's helping guidelines and expectations," Witkowski said. 

 

The sheet instructs the event coordinator to provide the Board of Health with a contact list of all vendors 30 days before the event. The list must include the vendor's name, contact person, phone number, and email address.

 

The information sheet provides vendors with the information they need during the permitting process, including the cost, required signage, handling and monitoring requirements, exempt foods, and additional contacts for other town departments in the case of tents, open fires, barbeques, or propane use. 

 

The sheet stipulates that vendors make their certifications and permits visible during the event and that  "all vendors preparing and serving food shall have sanitary hand washing mechanisms available as well as non-latex gloves."

 

The sheet also provides a list of requirements for obtaining a permit from the health department, including the mandatory guidelines set by the state Sanitary Code for Minimum Standards for Food Safety. 

 

Items required for the permit must be submitted to the health department 14 calendar days before the event. 

 

Vendors are required to submit the allergen awareness certificate and current food manager certificate. The Dalton Carnival vendors can use the current food handler certificate. For events seating 25 people or more, they require a cardiopulmonary resuscitation or Choke Saver certificate. 

 

One of the items included in the sheet that was heavily discussed is the request for a copy of the most recent food inspection for businesses located outside of Dalton. 

 

Some board members felt there wasn’t a need for businesses outside the county to submit the most recent copy of a food inspection. 

 

"I don't think that it should be required because we also need to have a good trusting relationship that other Board of Health where these people practice regularly are doing their job," co-chair Dr. Claudia Colombari said. 

 

Having this requirement for businesses is a rare practice but it is a good practice, Witkowski said. 

 

Not including the most recent food inspection in the application won't disqualify the vendor from receiving the permit because Witkowski said she follows up with the vendor's town or city's health department if it is not submitted. 

 

By reviewing the latest inspection report, Witkowski gains information that would have been inaccessible if she had solely relied on the permit. 

 

She said she finds it helpful to speak to other departments, and there are some Board Of Healths that have not necessarily conducted an inspection prior to issuing a permit. 

 

Since the inclusion doesn’t disqualify the vendor, board members found that the phrasing that the document is "required" is not accurate. 

 

The board changed the phrasing to say that if a business is outside of Dalton, the health department would like a copy of the most recent food inspection included in the application "if available."

 

Upon review, the board members determined that the language stating that the document is "required" was not entirely accurate, as its inclusion does not disqualify the vendor.

 

To rectify this, the board revised the phrasing to indicate that if a business is located outside of Dalton, the health department would like a copy of the most recent food inspection in the application, if available.