Follow rules of temporary food booths Published April 27, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Teri Cooper Public Health Technician SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Warmer months are slowly approaching, and it's almost time for the morale functions and cook-outs. But, when an event involves selling and distributing food to any size population on an Air Force installation, it becomes a public health concern. A temporary food booth can be defined as a food establishment that operates at a fixed location for no longer than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single event. Temporary food booths at events, such as bazaars and bake sales, are opportunities to build morale and raise money for various organizations. It could also be an easy way to temporarily disable a large number of people and ultimately affect the mission due to an unintended food-borne illness. The job of a public health technician is to safeguard the public's health and ensure food purchased and consumed is safe and wholesome. In order to do this, public health technicians need to know about all temporary food booths operating on Spangdahlem Air Base and Bitburg Annex. Prior to a fundraising event, a unit representative must visit public health, Bldg. 175, second floor, to fill out an application and receive a brief on Air Force standards for cooking and distributing food. The representative must then get approval for operating a temporary food booth. All temporary food booths are regulated under the 2005 FDA Food Code and Air Force Instruction 48-116, Food Safety Program, and all workers must follow the same guidelines as permanent food facility employees when it comes to personal hygiene and food handling practices. Public health is committed to protecting and improving the community's health and safety, as well as helping make fundraising events successful. For additional information on safe food-handling practices or to register a temporary food booth, call the public health's food safety and public facility sanitation element at DSN 452-8338 or 452-8331.