12
Offering food
Many events want to have some kind of food available, and food can make an event more fun.
As an event organizer, the first question to address is how involved should the food offered be?
The simplest way to offer food is to choose types of food that don’t require you to get a health
department permit. To do this, you must only offer food that is on the health department’s list of
‘exempt foods’ (i.e. foods that are exempt from requiring a permit). There is a page on the health
department’s website on this topic:
www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/environmental-health/food-safety/food-business-permit/food-
exemptions.aspx
Below is a list of examples from their website. You can think about exempt foods as ones that come pre-
packaged or in portions that are individually packaged, that do not need to be cooked, or kept hot or
cold to avoid spoiling, and/or that are fruit with a peel-able skin (such as bananas or oranges).
•Popcorn (including kettle corn)
•Cotton candy
•Herbs and spices (if processed in an approved facility)
•Machine crushed ice drinks (premix is frozen and dispensed completely within a self-enclosed
machine; such as icees, slushies or slurpies)
•Corn on the cob (prepared for immediate service with butter, shake-on spices or commercial
mayonnaise in squeeze bottle only)
•Whole roasted peppers (if roasted for immediate service)
•Roasted nuts, roasted peanuts (including candy-coated)
•Fruits and vegetables for sampling (if used for individual samples of non-potentially hazardous
produce)
If you decide you want to offer food that is not exempt, then you will need a permit. It does not matter
if you are selling the food or giving it away for free, or if the organization running the event is non-profit,
or for profit, or a group of friend or neighbors. If your event is in any way providing food to the public
that is not exempt, you must have a health department permit.
What about potlucks? In general potlucks at public events are not recommended. As an event
organizer, you have no way of knowing how each of the dishes that people bring will be prepared, and if
someone gets sick because from food poisoning at your event, you may be held liable.
If you have decided that you want to offer food that will need a permit, there are two options:
1. The event organizers coordinate the process of making the food available themselves (get a permit,
buy food, keep it cold, set up a food booth as required, prepare and serve the food according to the
permit requirements). The type of health department permit you will need is a “Temporary food service
business permit” and information about it is online here:
www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/environmental-health/food-safety/food-business-permit/temporary.aspx
2. Or the event organizers hire a company to cater the event. A caterer, or restaurant with a catering
license, or a food truck, will handle all the details of providing the food at your event for a fee.