A hot dog or a hamburger may sound great during a school sporting event.  But who's making sure the food is handled properly and cooked safely?  Volunteers often run the concession stands to raise money for their school, but it's up to them to handle the food safely.  Following these guidelines will help you minimize the risk of food-borne illness when volunteering at your next concession stand.

1. Choosing your food wisely:  Keep your menu simple, and keep potentially hazardous foods (meats, eggs, dairy products, protein, salads, cut fruits and vegetables, etc.) to a minimum.  Avoid using precooked foods or leftovers.  Use only foods from approved sources/suppliers, avoiding foods that have been prepared at home. 
2. Cooking:  Use a food thermometer to check on cooking and holding temperatures of potentially hazardous foods. All potentially hazardous foods should be kept at 41 F or below (if cold) or 140 F or above (if hot). Ground beef and pork products should be cooked to an internal temperature of 155 F, and poultry should be cooked to 165 F.  Most food-borne illnesses from temporary events can be traced to lapses in temperature control.
3. Reheating:  Rapidly reheat potentially hazardous foods to165 F. Do not attempt to reheat foods in crock pots, steam tables, over sterno units or other hot holding devices. Trying to reheat foods in these devices may activate bacteria and never allow the food to reach a killing temperature.
4. Cooling and Cold Storage:  Foods that require refrigeration must be cooled to 41 F as quickly as possible and held at that temperature until ready to serve. Bacteria can be reintroduced to food after it is safely cooked. To cool foods down quickly, use an ice and water bath (60% ice to 40% water), stirring the product frequently, or place the food in shallow pans no more than 4 inches in depth and refrigerate. Food must be cooled to 40 F or below within two hours.  Allowing hazardous foods to remain un-refrigerated for too long has been the number one cause of food borne illness.
5. Hand Washing:  Frequent and thorough hand washing remains the best defense in preventing food-borne illness. You should wash your hands, when beginning a shift, after handling raw ingredients, after using the restroom, after eating, drinking or using tobacco, after using a handkerchief or tissue, after touching your nose, face or hair, after touching any soiled surface or utensil, after wiping your hands on your clothes, and when changing gloves.  Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds making sure to clean under your fingernails.
6. Health:  Only healthy workers should prepare and serve food. Anyone who shows symptoms of illness (cramps, nausea, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, etc.) or who has open sores or infected cuts on the hands and arms should not be allowed in the food concession area. Workers should wear clean clothing and aprons if possible.
7. Avoid bare hand contact of raw, ready-to-eat foods and food contact surfaces. Use utensils to serve food. Touching food with bare hands can transfer germs to food.
8. Dishwashing:  Use disposable utensils for food service. Keep your hands away from food contact surfaces, and never reuse disposable dishware. Ideally, dishes and utensils should be washed in a four-step process: washing in hot soapy water, rinsing in clean water, chemical or heat sanitizing and air drying.
9. Ice:  Ice used to cool beverage cans/bottles should not be used in beverage cups and should be stored separately. Use a scoop to dispense ice and never use your hands.  Ice can become contaminated with bacteria and viruses and cause food-borne illness.
10. Wiping Cloths:  First, wash surfaces with soap and warm, clean water to remove dirt and debris. Next, sanitize surfaces with household bleach. Rinse and store your wiping cloths in a bucket of sanitizer (Example: 1 gallon of water and 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of regular unscented 5% - 6% household chlorine bleach). Allow surface to air dry. Change the solution every two hours. Well sanitized work surfaces prevent cross-contamination and discourage flies.
11. Insect Control, Chemicals and Waste:  Keep foods covered to protect them from insects. Store pesticides and cleaning chemicals away from foods. Place garbage and paper waste in a refuse container with a tight-fitting lid. 
12. Food Storage and Cleanliness: Store food and boxes of serving containers/utensils off the floor at least six inches. After your event is finished, clean the concession area and discard unusable food.

Source content:  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food Safety.gov, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.