Protect the food

  • Use sneeze guards, lids, domes or covered displays. Uncover only while serving.
  • No raw meat, poultry or fish on self-service.
  • A trained worker watches the line, replaces dropped utensils and removes food that gets contaminated.
  • Hot food at 135°F or above, cold food at 41°F or below (set cold dishes in ice to the food level), or under the 4-hour rule with the discard time marked.

Sources: Food Code 3-306.11 · Food Code 3-306.13 · Food Code 3-501.16 · Food Code 3-501.19

Serving utensils

  • A separate utensil in every dish, with a handle long enough to stay out of the food.
  • Between uses, keep it in the food with the handle out, or on a clean, sanitized plate. Never on the bare table or in another dish.
  • Change it when dropped, used in another dish, or touched at the food end, and at least every 4 hours.

Sources: Food Code 3-304.12 · Food Code 3-306.13(B) · Food Code 4-602.11

Clean plates and no re-serving

  • Customers take a clean plate for seconds. Tell them, with a sign or in person.
  • Food served to a customer is never served again. Only unopened, packaged items that don't need temperature control (chip bags, condiment packets) can go back.

Sources: Food Code 3-304.16 · Food Code 2-103.11(M) · Food Code 3-306.14

Refilling personal cups

  • Refill a customer's own travel mug or bottle only if it can't contaminate your equipment or other drinks.
  • Refuse cups that look dirty.
  • The cup never touches a spout, nozzle or tap. Pour from above.
  • Never dip a personal cup into a shared tub, ice chest or punch bowl.

Sources: Food Code 3-304.17(B)

The rules behind it

  • Hot and cold holding. Hot 135°F or above; cold 41°F or below. Food Code 3-501.16; R392-102-12(6)
  • Buffet and self-service protection. Sneeze guards, covers or cases on displayed food; a utensil for each dish; a trained employee watches the line; no raw meat, poultry or fish on self-service; customers told to take a clean plate for seconds; food returned by a customer is never served again. Food Code 3-306.11, 3-306.13, 3-304.16, 3-306.14, 2-103.11(M); docs/source/research/buffet-and-dinner-service.md · source