New Food Preparation Guidelines revised May 2021

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Food Preparation Guidelines

The following guidelines were approved by the Church Council on May 10, 2021
as we return to meals during this time of COVID, in the congregation:

1. All persons preparing/handling food shall not be ill or been exposed to those ill for the past 7 days.

2. All food handlers will be required to wear masks.

3. Food handlers in contact with food at any point shall wear gloves, including transport throughout the location.

4. Sanitize kitchen/food preparation surfaces prior to starting.

5. Hand washing: use hot water, lather soap for 20 seconds over entire surface of hands–to above the wrist, rinse, and use single use disposal towel to dry hands and then turn off faucet with towel.

6. If gloves become torn or contaminated in any way, they must be changed. Examples of contamination: after handling raw meat, touching face/hair, sneezing or coughing into your hand, taking out trash, leaving the kitchen for any reason and returning to prepare/serve food, etc… Hands must be washed between glove changes.

7. Beverages (including ice) shall be served by designated persons in the same manner as food.

8. Seating must be staggered to maintain a safe distance from one another.

9. Manual wear washing of the cooking utensils shall take place in very hot (110 degrees) soapy water, rinsed in very hot water and allowed to air dry before putting away or by using the church dishwasher.

10. Clean and then re-sanitize all kitchen/food preparation surfaces upon completion of the meal event.

11. Dining areas are to be cleaned and sanitized at the completion of the meal.

12. All plates, cups and cutlery are to be disposable.

13. Remove all trash to outside containers.

14. Commonly, often touched items such as condiments is discourage unless frequently sanitized, preferably offered in individual packets.

15. While there is no known link between Covid-19 and food-borne illness, serve/maintain hot food at 135 degrees or above and cold food below 41 degrees with any temperature deficiencies no greater than a 2 hour span. Any left-over food shall be cooled to below 41 degrees in under 4 hours.