Health department briefs Senior Advisory Board on food-safety rules, temporary-permit requirements for Branch Connection events

At a Farmers Branch Senior Advisory Board meeting, Liz Park, a sanitarian with the city health department, told board members that any event where food is offered to the public requires a temporary food permit and specific food-safety controls.

Park said the rules apply regardless of where a program is held. “So y'all's events are not private because members come and go. So…your permits are for anything that we serve to the public,” she said, noting the city’s local rules sit alongside state and federal guidance.

The board discussed how those requirements will affect regular Branch Connection activities that are temporarily relocating. Park listed common permit requirements: a portable handwashing station next to the serving table; certified kitchen managers and food-handler certification on site; a three-compartment wash setup and bleach test strips for warewashing; and covered service (for example, a 10-by-10…