4-H Events and Food Safety
County and state fairs give consumers the opportunity to compete against each other in many cooking, baking, and food preservation categories. Because fairs are held in the summer months, it is important to use good food safety procedures and select safe recipes for judges to evaluate. Here are some tips to have a safer fair.
For overall information on judging foods and food preservation exhibits, go to:
http://www.rrc.k-state.edu/judging/index.html
Food Preservation Exhibits
Just because it seals, doesn't mean it is safe! Safely preserving foods is not just for the fair, but for any use. Here are some tips.
Operating Temporary Food Stands
Fairs bring a lot of people together for fun, food, and more. While food service operations are temporary at county fairs, they still must operate in compliance with guidelines from the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Here are some useful resources.
Safety guidance for food stands and bake sales in 2021 - April 2021
Food Handling Guidelines for Exempt Food Vendors
Food Safety Posters for Food Stands
Fair Event Posters - including handwashing
Many events involve handling food for immediate consumption such as farmers markets, 4-H food stands, local athletic events, fairs, festivals, and more. Safe food handling is important for a successful event!
MF3472 - December 2019
- Food Handling Guidelines for Bake Sales
- Food Handling Guidelines for Temporary Food Stands
- No Bare-Hand Contact
- Cooling Food Safely
- Date Marking
- Handwashing
- Hand Sink Sign
- Ice Bath Cooling
- Product Cooling Temperature Log
- Refrigeration Temperature Log
- Food Temperature Log
- Manual Cleaning and Sanitizing
- Food Safety for Group Functions
- Two-Stage Cooling
- All other fact sheets
Fact sheet handouts from Kansas Department of Agriculture are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
Petting Zoos and Livestock Exhibits
Illnesses have occurred when people handle animals at fairs whether they are in petting zoos or in livestock competitions. Here is some information to help fair organizations prevent illnesses from happening.
