Food for personal consumption, tailgating, and potlucks
Faculty, staff, students, and others may bring food items to campus for personal consumption. Individuals may also bring food for personal consumption at tailgating events. Rules and designated areas for tailgating can be found in the tailgating policy (see related policies), or on the SCSU athletics webpage. Organizations, departments, or other groups holding potluck events may bring outside food/beverages that are not commercially prepared. If your organization/group is interested in hosting a potluck it must meet the following criteria:
- Potlucks are for internal SCSU group members only (external parties are not allowed with the exception of community member attendance at potlucks hosted by and held at the SCSU community garden).
- There is no profit involved.
- Potlucks held in buildings that are not subject to exclusivity rules may be held in rooms that can be reserved, or in office or department controlled areas such as a break room, conference room, or community room. Potlucks held in locations that are subject to exclusivity rules may only be held in office or department controlled areas and my not be held in reserved rooms (see food service exclusive spaces section).
Bake sales
Officially registered student organizations are authorized to hold bake sales of non-potentially hazardous foods (see definitions section) on the St. Cloud State University campus only in specific approved locations reserved through the Atwood scheduling office or via the online EMS scheduling system.
Following are the required general food safety practices for bake sales:
- Sound sanitation practices, such as using clean equipment, must be followed when preparing, packaging, serving, transporting, displaying, and selling bake sale items.
- Baked goods that must be kept at a certain temperature (hot or cold) must not be sold. For example, avoid foods with dairy fillings or frostings, etc. that need to be kept cold.
- Avoid all nut-based baked goods due to high number of nut-based allergies and/or sensitivities with potential life-threatening effects.
- Food handlers who are preparing, packaging, transporting, displaying, or selling bake sale items must be free of communicable diseases. Their hands and arms must be free of wounds, cuts, and sores. Food service glove, tongs, or food tissue use is required for any handling of the baked goods.
- Those (food handlers) contributing to or participating in the event must wash their hands with soap before working and after each break (rest room, smoking, etc.).
- The food handlers should not handle the money exchange; a separate organization member should serve that role.
- Organizers should maintain a list of everyone contributing food items to the sale or event. The list should include each contributor’s name and contact information.
- A list of all ingredients for the baked items offered should be displayed, but if that is not possible, a disclaimer should be displayed indicating “Ingredients information is not available so if you have a food allergy or sensitivity, please make a safe purchase decision.”
- All food ingredients used must be obtained from a licensed and approved food source (grocery store, etc.).
- All food items and plates or containers they are transported in, served on, and displayed in should be completely wrapped (plastic wrap, tin foil, container lid, etc.). It is encouraged that serving/selling portions are individually wrapped.
- Any eating utensils provided should be single use and disposable, and wrapped to prevent contamination.
Food service exclusive spaces: The campus contracted food service provider (SCSU food services) shall hold exclusive rights for contract board, retail dining, convenience store, catering, and concession services. Except for individual consumption, tailgating, potlucks and bake sales as defined in this policy, food/beverages for groups using the SCSU facilities identified below must be supplied from SCSU food services. Organizations interested in holding events where food/beverages will be served must request catering and reserve the location through the Atwood scheduling office or via the online EMS scheduling system (see supporting URLs). Requests for exceptions must be submitted to the SCSU food service contract administrator (Atwood executive director).
- Atwood Memorial Center (all catering with a retail price over $100)
- Garvey Commons
- Herb Brooks National Hockey Center Multipurpose Room and Husky Den
Beverages
Any beverages, served, donated or displayed, must comply with the exclusivity guidelines of the University’s beverage contract. Events involving alcoholic beverages must also follow SCSU’s Alcohol and Other Drug Policy. For questions about beverage regulations, contact the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration.
Cultural Events - Use of Kitchen Facilities:
Food Services kitchen facilities (Atwood and Garvey) are only available for Saturday/Sunday events being held in Atwood Memorial Center. Student organizations that wish to host cultural food events, with priority given to “cultural night” events, must adhere to the following steps.
- Approval of the request for space will be based on availability of Atwood Memorial Center banquet space as well as availability of the kitchen facilities.
- Only one SCSU student event that involves use of kitchen facilities will be allowed per weekend, limited to Friday through Sunday.
- Each student organization may only apply for one event using kitchen facilities per academic year.
- Two weeks prior to food orders being placed groups must complete in full the student srganization food application form with the advisor’s signature to the catering office.
- Before groups can use the kitchen production areas, they will need to have completed the Atwood food service/event planning session with training related to food safety and sanitation issues.
- The student organization will be assessed all costs for the events including cost of food supplies, paper costs, staffing (supervisor is required at all times when the kitchen is in use) as well as for any cleanup costs.
- It is the responsibility of the group to clean the facilities according to SCSU food services standards. If satisfactory cleaning does not occur, SCSU food services shall assess a fee. Substantial cleaning by SCSU food services may result in the loss of the group’s rights to reserve facilities for one academic year.
- Student organizations are expected to pay their bill to SCSU food services within 30 days of the event. Groups that fail to pay in full within 90 days of the event will forfeit their rights to use the kitchen for the following academic year.