Food Sales or Service

To ensure that Iowa State food sales or service do not conflict with university food contracts and meet health and safety regulations, departments/units and other organizations must obtain approval for sales and/or service of food-related items through the University Event Authorization system.

Recognized student organizations at Iowa State may be exempt from licensing requirements when the following conditions are met:

• The organization sells food, after approval by University Event Authorization, once per week or less (and not on two consecutive days).
• The food sale is on Iowa State property.
• All sales proceeds go to the recognized student organization and no members benefit personally.
• Hand-washing stations and other health and safety best practices for temporary food establishments are utilized.

 Food to be sold must be prepared in a licensed kitchen and:

• Catered by an approved food/beverage vendor, or
• Prepared on site with University Event Authorization approval, or
• Meet the requirements of bake sales as discussed below.

The above requirements do not apply to the following:

• Food and beverage for personal consumption
• Closed events such as departmental gatherings or student organization events for members only
• Private tailgate parties
• Cookouts, picnics, or potluck dinners not open for attendance by the general public or by Iowa State student and staff general population
• Sale of pre-packaged foods (bottled water, packages of candy/chips, etc.)
• Bake sales

• Potentially hazardous items (including those that require temperature control) cannot be sold at a bake sale. Products typically suggested for bake sales include breads, cakes, buns, rolls, cookies, bars, and pies (but NOT items containing meat, custard, and cream).
   
• Bake sale products must be securely wrapped or bagged in ready-to-sell amounts to protect from contamination during display. They also must have a label that identifies:
  1. Common name of the product
  2. Ingredients used
  3. Name and address of the food preparer
  4. Use of common food allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, pecans or walnuts), seafood, soybeans (not refined soybean oil), and wheat.
      
• All student organization bake sales must be approved through the University Event Authorization system.

• When preparing food on site (burgers, hot dogs, etc.), all food supplies must come from a commercial manufacturer or an approved source.
• Home kitchens may not be used for preparation of food for a temporary food establishment.
• Proper food temperatures must be maintained during transport. Transport vehicles are subject to inspection.
• All food sales and service locations must designate appropriate and separate spaces on site for food preparation, hand washing/sanitation, and food service.
• Food given away for free at an Iowa State event must come from an approved food and beverage vendor and must be served according to safe food handling practices.

• Free cookouts, picnics, or potluck dinners not open to the general public or the general university student and staff population are exempt from regular food event approval rules.
• Personal grills are not allowed on campus. Iowa State has installed stationary grills for student and staff use at various campus locations. Approved events may use commercial grills; however, Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M) must transport all grills to and from campus lawns. Contact FP&M at 515-294-0692 to coordinate. You must also contact FP&M to reserve campus space and to request trash receptacles for food events. 

As part of a course's curriculum or for an assignment in a course, students are not allowed to sell food items on campus, except for pre-packaged food items that are not considered potentially hazardous foods (includes foods that are required to be temperature controlled).

If a class would like to sell foods that are potentially hazardous and/or processed by the members of the class:

• The class can partner with a student organization and apply for approval for the event through the online University Event Authorization system.
• The class can apply for a temporary food license from the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. This license requires the food service to be “in conjunction with a single event.” It is not clear if such a license would be granted for class assignments.