chili at nut answer this

i was reading about all of the trouble a persn could get into with not having the proper liscense to give out food  what about all the wild game dinners the vfws and legion halls and fire depts. have every year are they subject to all of these rules to i know i go to at least 10 of these dinners and events every year its always **** good food but i dont think any of them have an inspector coming in and checking them out or do they

I would be willing to bet that all the VFW's and Fire Departments as well as many churches have a license and a licensed kitchen to prepare the food in.  It is not that difficult to get an event license.  Here is a link to the Erie County Health Department.  I would suggest if there are questions about food safety and how to obtain a food vendor license you can contact them.

http://www.ecdh.org/

Also here is information I found on the Erie County Health Department website.  I hope this helps.

Temporary and Permanent Event Food Facility Guidelines The following guidelines have been developed to help food facilities at events in Erie County operate in a sanitary manner and to minimize the possibility of foodborne illness. Guidelines are based on current Pennsylvania regulations.
 License

All food facilities operating in Erie County must be licensed by Erie County Department of Health. A Temporary License will be issued to each food facility at each event. An event cannot have a duration of more than 14 days. Temporary License fee is $30.00 per facility per event. A temporary food facility shall receive no more than three Temporary Licenses in a calendar year. Facilities that operate at four or more events in a calendar year will receive a Permanent Event License. Permanent Event License fee is $30.00 per event. License must be posted at the facility within public view.

Employees

All food handlers must wear hair restraints: hats, caps, visors, or hair nets. No person who is infected with or is a carrier of a communicable disease shall work in any food facility. Smoking is not permitted in any food preparation or service area. Single-use gloves, deli paper, or utensils are required for handling all ready-to-eat foods. Bare hand contact is prohibited. Most facilities are required to employ a person certified in food safety.

Hand Washing

Each facility must be provided with clean water, soap, single use paper towels, and a waste water container.

Water Supply

All water must be obtained from a source approved by this Department. Water supply hoses must be “Drinking Water Safe” or labeled “food grade”. Common garden hoses are not acceptable. Each facility must be provided with hot and cold running water piped to the facility OR have an adequate supply on hand. Water must be stored in a clean, covered container (5 gallon minimum capacity) that has a dispensing spout. NO dipping is permitted. If hot water is not available, a means of heating water must be provided. Hot plates and coffee urns are acceptable.

Food

All food must be clean, wholesome, free from spoilage, free from adulteration and safe for human consumption. All food must be prepared at a licensed facility or prepared on site. No food prepared in a private home may be served or sold. Thaw all potentially hazardous foods at refrigeration temperatures of 41°F or below OR under cool, potable running water. Cold foods must be held cold at 41°F or below. It is highly recommended that food be stored under mechanical refrigeration whenever electricity is available. Hot foods must be held hot at 135°F or above. Foods not used by the end of the day must be discarded. Cook poultry to 165°F, ground beef to 155°F, pork to 145°F. Appropriate thermometers must be provided to monitor cooking and holding temperatures. Ice must be obtained from an approved source. All ice served in beverages or used in the preparation of foods must be stored in non-porous, easily-cleanable, covered containers. Styrofoam coolers are not acceptable. An ice scoop must be used and properly stored. Ice used as a coolant may not be used in drinks. Food must be protected from contamination at all times during storage, preparation, cooking, serving and display. Food samples must be offered in individual portions or distributed by food employees.

Cleaning and Sanitizing A three-compartment sink or three labeled containers of adequate size must be provided to allow for proper cleaning and sanitizing of utensils and dishes. WASH - warm water and detergent RINSE - clean water SANITIZE - An approved sanitizer must be used on all table tops, counters, and dishes.

Chlorine - 7 seconds at 50 ppm (1 ounce bleach to 3 gallons of water) Quaternary ammonium (Quats) - 30 seconds at 200 ppm

AIR DRY - Allow dishes and surfaces to completely air dry; do not towel dry. Test strips must be available to monitor sanitizer concentrations. Wiping cloths must be stored in a sanitizer solution between uses. Waste Water

Each facility not supplied with a built-in waste system must provide a container of adequate size (5 gallon minimum capacity) with a tight-fitting lid for the retention of wash water and cleaning water. All waste water must be disposed of in an approved sewage system. Approved dump stations and public restrooms are acceptable. DO NOT dump waste water down storm sewers or onto the ground surface.

Restrooms

• Adequate toilet facilities must be provided on the premises. Portable toilets must be provided if public restrooms are unavailable. Hand washing facilities must be provided wherever toilet facilities are located.

Garbage

A leak-proof refuse container with a tight-fitting lid must be provided at each facility. All refuse must be stored in a manner that will prevent insect and rodent problems.

Construction

All food contact surfaces must be smooth and easily cleanable. Overhead protection from weather must be provided for all food preparation and storage areas. Canvas, plastic, umbrellas, wood are acceptable. Flooring must be provided in the establishment, if necessary in the opinion of the Department, to control dust and debris. Acceptable floorings include concrete, blacktop, wood sheeting, linoleum, tarps.
• All other equipment must be constructed and maintained in a manner consistent with Department standards.

Download Application for a Temporary Food License.

Didn't see any one there with a thermometer checking food at the Pinner outing..
I think that Cherry juice may have been tainted. Made me all warm inside..
 
Wonder how fresh that fish was though.
 
 

When a group of people come together as a private group to share food among themselves, there is no need for a license.  If you open the event to the public then the rules change. You do not need to have a license if you have picnic at Presque Isle with your family and friends.  No one will say a thing to you. 
 
The actual piece of paper that is the license is not magic, but in order to get it you have to demonstrate you understand basic food safety practices and agree to follow them.  That's all.  Can contaminated food still be served, yes, but it will be less likely if the persons with the license follow proper safety procedures.
 
I would bet if someone showed up and served contaminated food to people, those that got sick would be extremely upset about that and would demand something be done about it.  The Health Department has these rules to help PREVENT problems before they happen.  BTW - these are the same basic rules that apply to restaurants and taverns, which are regularly inspected for violations.
 
In a perfect world we would not need any rules because everyone would know what to do and how to do it and would take precautions, etc...  We don't live in a perfect world.  Not everyone understands how to prepare food properly, how to store it, and serve it, so we need guidelines.
 
Honestly, I think the real issue here has nothing to do with food safety, but a perceived wrong being done to the public by an overbearing government.  If you believe that the government has no place in telling us how we should prepare our food, store it, serve it, etc… than work within the system to change that.  
 
BTW – you don’t have to get a license or follow any of the rules listed if you are willing to accept you are breaking the law and could be fined if caught.  You can apply this approach to all aspects of your life.  You can drive at speeds over the speed limit, run red lights, snag fish, rob banks, shoot your neighbors dog, etc… If you don’t care about the consequences of your actions, then just do what you want.  Heck that is what people do all the time.