Whether it is a community fair or festival, your neighborhood yard sale or a weekend baseball tournament, any person or group that prepares and sells food must get a temporary food license from their local health department.

Why do I need a license to sell food?
In Ohio, it is the law. Just like your favorite restaurant, if you are part of a group that is preparing and selling food – even for a short time, you must get a temporary food license from the health department. This includes events with a required donation or an entry or gate fee at an event.

Clermont County Public Health protects the public by inspecting places that prepare and sell food. They make sure that food sold in Clermont County is safe to eat and prepared in a clean and sanitary manner.

What does a license do?
Having a license to sell food shows your customers that you have been inspected and approved by Clermont County Public Health to sell food. When food isn’t cooked to the proper temperature or people don’t wash their hands or wear gloves before preparing ready-to-eat foods, it can make people sick.

To get a license to sell food, an inspection must first be done. Places that set up a temporary food booth without getting a license run the risk of getting people sick from food poisoning.

What do we look for when we do an inspection?

• Food is purchased from an approved source
• Hand washing stations are available
• Gloves are being worn when handling ready to eat foods
• Food is prepared at a licensed facility or on-site (where the inspectors can see it) and not in a person’s home
• Food grade thermometers are being used when cooking
• Cold food is stored at proper temperatures
• Hot food is cooked and held at the proper temperatures
• Roof or tent over the food service operation area
• Station set up to wash rinse and sanitize utensils and dishes

For more information on our food safety program or how to get a temporary food permit, visit https://ccphohio.org/food-protection/

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