Food & Beverage Service
To ensure the health and safety of our campus community everyone on campus is expected to comply with the following regulations and guidelines. Food service on campus is regulated by the Stanislaus State Food Policy, California Retail Food Code (CalCode), with guidance from the Stanislaus County Department of Environmental Resources. Proper compliance with this process will assure liability coverage.
*NOTE* All Recognized Student Organizations (RSO) will need to work with Student Leadership, Engagement & Belonging for the FBSR within WarriorLife to ensure all required documentation is submitted for processing.
To sell or serve food at an event please complete Food Safety Review request. Please note that the Food Safety Review request must be submitted no less than ten (10) business days prior to the event.
Food & Beverage Safety Review Process
- Enter your event in 25Live (All events, including department meetings should be entered through 25Live).
- If food is a part of your event, complete the Food Safety Review request no less than ten (10) business days prior to the event.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section provides answers to questions about Food & Beverage Safety.
The FBSR form is required to ensure the safety of the food and beverage served by someone who is not a caterer. This process allows Safety & Risk Management to review the food service, time, and temperature to significantly reduce the likelihood of a foodborne illness.
Catering is the act of food/beverage service from a health-permitted caterer (e.g., refilling food displays, maintaining food temperature). Catering is not take-out or delivery of food/beverage. Food/beverage provided at a public event (open to the general public with no pre-registration for all attendees) is not considered catering and would require a County Environmental Health Department Temporary Food Facility Permit (TFFP).
If not catered by Campus Dining, YES. Completion of the FBSR form is required if the department uses University Funds
YES. Food and beverage distributed (or sold) to the campus community cannot occur more than three (3) days within any 90-day period by a person, group, department, or student organization without needing a county TFFP from the County Environmental Health Department. This includes, but is not limited to, fundraisers, special events and activities in an open setting such as the Quad. This does not apply to certain activities in a closed setting such as a meeting.
The general public includes anyone not part of the Campus Community who can access food sold/distributed. The Campus Community includes all faculty, staff, students, alums, and guests.
A Food and Beverage Safety Review (FBSR) form is always required when food/beverage is distributed and not catered by Campus Dining. The type of event will determine if it falls under the three (3) days in any 90-day period.
No. A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group contributes a dish of food to be shared at no cost to others. The potluck must occur in a closed setting (e.g., invited members or guests only). All individuals eating at the potluck should be aware that they are eating at their own risk, and the University is not to be held liable for any foodborne illness.
A County TFFP is required from the County Environmental Health Department when food and/or beverage are being distributed (or sold) to the general public or when a campus community event exceeds distribution (or sales) for more than three (3) days in any 90-day period.
Exception: If ALL food/beverage is individually-sealed, commercially prepackaged and non-perishable (no refrigeration required), and if all food/beverage is provided from inside of a permanent building on campus and the amount of food/beverage in public view is less than or equal to 25 square feet of display space, and ALL other food/beverage is stored out of public view (e.g., kept in an adjacent room, kept behind a counter) and is stored six (6) inches off of the floor, then no TFFP would be needed and there is no limit to number of days of operation.
YES, unless it is (1) a potluck or (2) distributed/sold to the general public. When distributed to the general public, a group must obtain a County Temporary Food Facility Permt (TFFP) from the Stanislaus County Environmental Health Department: TFF Application (English). For San Joaquin County Environmental Health, please visit: https://www.sjgov.org/docs/default-source/environmental-health-documents/food-and-restaurants/temporary-event-application.pdf?sfvrsn=ef55e3e0_3
No. You are not required to complete a FBSR form when dining at a restaurant.
If the total cost (from all sources) of food/beverage for the entire event is more than $250.00, departments and student organizations must go through Campus Dining for food service.
For an exemption, you must work with Campus Dining.
If an exemption is granted, the FBSR is required.
Chartwells must approve in advance any food service in these locations.
Outside catering is not allowed to come onto campus and serve food and/or beverage on the Turlock campus unless an exemption is approved.
No. The FBSR is only required when Campus Dining is not catering food/beverage. Express ordering or pick-up does require the FBSR form.
Yes. An FBSR form request is required when purchasing food through Campus Dining but prepared by the department/student organization.
No. Outside barbeques/grills are not allowed on campus. Two campus grills are available for use at the following locations: Faculty Development Center and Teague Park.
Updated: March 17, 2025