Jefferson County Health Department

(Entire document available as a download our Forms page)

Permit Requirements:

a. All mobile food establishments must obtain a permit from the Jefferson County Health Department prior to opening for business.

b. All mobile food establishments must submit plans and specifications to the Jefferson County Health Department prior to construction or remodeling.

c. All mobile food establishments must be inspected before a permit is issued.

d. Mobile food permits are issued for periods of one year. All such permits expire on December 31st of the year issued.

Education Requirements:

a. For mobile food establishments, there shall be a manager on duty who is ServSafe certified, or equivalent. Certification classes are given through Jefferson College. The present cost is one hundred and nine dollars, ($109.00) and is subject to change without notice.

b. 100% of all food service employees must have attended and passed a two-hour food safety class. The cost of this class is fifteen dollars, ($15.00) and is subject to change without notice. A schedule of classes may be obtained by calling the Jefferson County Health Center at (636) 797-3737, extension 2.

c. * For mobile food establishments serving only prepackaged, ready to eat foods, there must be a designated person in charge during business hours. That individual must have attended a two-hour food safety class.

d. There is a training CD-Rom available through ServSafe which tracks training and testing that may be used in lieu of attending the two-hour class. Prior notification and proper record keeping is required.

e. All food operations must maintain records of training and certification on site.

f. Education certificates for managers are valid for five years. Education certificates for employees are valid for three years.

Physical Facility Requirements:

a. The facility must have hot and cold running water under adequate pressure.

b. The facility must provide hot and cold running water through mixing faucets.

c. The facility must be equipped with a conveniently located hand sink that is supplied with hot and cold running water, dispensed through a mixing faucet. This hand sink must have hand soap and disposable towels and/or a sanitary hand-drying device.

d. The facility shall have access to a conveniently located rest room, adequately ventilated, equipped with a self-closing door; a properly equipped hand sink as described in paragraph c., and a covered trash can.

e. The facility shall have walls, floors and ceiling surfaces constructed of smooth durable materials that are easily cleanable

f. The facility floors and wall junctures shall be sealed as with baseboards or coved.

g. The facility shall have all lights shielded or Teflon coated.

h. The facility HVAC devices shall be installed in such a way as to not contaminate food preparation areas.

i. The facility shall have all outer openings protected against the entrance of rodents and insects.

j. The facility perimeter walls and roofs shall be constructed to protect against weather, rodents and insects.

k. The facility shall have no carpeting.

l. The facility shall not have insect protection devices installed in such a way as to contaminate a food preparation or storage area.

m. The facility shall not have exposed studs, joists or rafters.

n. The facility shall have no exposed utility pipes, service lines and any horizontal pipes and service lines on the floor.

o. The facility shall have adequate ventilation.

p. The facility shall be maintained as a no smoking operation.

q. The facility shall be maintained in a clean state, free of unnecessary liter, used equipment and rodent/insect harborage.

r. The facility shall have a maintenance equipment & toxic storage area, located so as not to contaminate food or single service items.

s. The facility shall have a dry, insect and rodent proof storage area for dry goods, canned goods and paper products.

t. Plumbing shall meet county codes, no lead solder or flux on food contact surfaces, no cross connections. SEE ATTACHED SHEET PLUMBING SHEET.

Equipment Requirements:

a. * Facilities preparing food must be equipped with a three-compartment sink, (of sufficient depth and equipped with drain boards), using chemical sanitization. Chemical test devices must be available to check sanitizer levels.

b. * Facilities must have adequate refrigeration and freezer capacity.

c. * Facilities must have adequate reheating capacity.

d. * Facilities must have adequate hot and cold holding capacity.

e. All heating and cooling devices must be equipped with permanently affixed thermometers accurate to + or - 2 degrees F.

f. Facilities must have equipment to provide adequate protection during storage and display of food.

g. Food preparation equipment must be safe, durable and easily cleanable, and resistant to pitting.

h. Food preparation utensils must be safe, durable and easily cleanable. and resistant to pitting.

i. Food preparation surfaces must be safe, durable and easily cleanable, and resistant to pitting.

j. * The food preparation area must be provided with an adequate number of accurate food thermometers or thermocouples.

k. Ice machines must be installed so that bins are sloped to drain, with no cross connections and no cold plates in direct contact with ice, and equipped with an ice scoop which is properly stored.

Important:

This list is designed to serve as a general guideline for individuals desiring to obtain a mobile food service permit in Jefferson County. It is not intended as an in-depth work and may not represent the complete and total requirements of the Jefferson County Food Code. The Jefferson County Food Code contains details regarding food service and retail food operation, health and safety issues, personnel, sanitation and equipment standards as well as storage requirements for food, paper, and toxic items. It is an adaptation of the Missouri Food Code and the 1999 Federal Food Code. A copy of the Jefferson County food code should be referred to prior to opening for business. It is available on request at publication cost.

The presence of (*) signifies regulations that mobile food operations serving only non-potentially hazardous, prepackaged, ready to eat foods are not required to meet.

PLUMBING ATTACHMENT

5-103.11 29 Capacity.

A) The water source and system shall be of sufficient capacity to meet the peak water demands of the food establishment. (B) Hot water generation and distribution systems shall be sufficient to meet the peak hot water demands throughout the food establishment.

5-103.12 29 Pressure.

Water under pressure shall be provided to all fixtures, equipment, And nonfood equipment that is required to use water except that water supplied as specified under ¶¶ 5-104.12(A) and (B) to a temporary food establishment or in response to a temporary interruption of a water supply need not be under pressure if approved.

Mobile units are not classified as temporary facilities. Section (B) does not apply to mobile facilities.

5-104.11 27 System.

Water shall be received from the source through the use of:

(A) An approved public water main; or

(B) One or more of the following that be constructed, maintained, and operated according to law: (1) Nonpublic water main, water pumps, pipes, hoses, connections, and other appurtenances, (2) Water transport vehicles, and (3) Water containers.

The use of items (1), (2), or (3) refers to the transport of water to a unit and does not preclude the requirement for water to be under pressure.

5-203.11 31 Hand washing Facilities.

A) Except as specified in ¶¶ (B) and (C) of this section, at least 1 hand washing lavatory, a number of hand washing lavatories necessary for their convenient use by employees in areas specified under § 5-204.11, and not fewer than the number of hand washing lavatories required by law shall be provided.

(B) If approved and capable of removing the types of soils encountered in the food operations involved, automatic hand washing facilities may be substituted for hand washing lavatories in a food establishment that has at least one hand-washing lavatory.

(C) If approved, when food exposure is limited to packaged food and hand washing lavatories are not conveniently available, such as in some mobile or temporary food establishments or at some vending machine locations, employees may use chemically treated towelettes and/or approved hand sanitizers for hand washing.

Mobile permits will not be issued to units that are not equipped with hand washing facilities. There may be occasions when due to unavoidable equipment failures treated towelettes and hand sanitizer may be approved by the regulatory authority for temporary use.

5-203.11 Service Sink

The requirement for a service/mop sink on a mobile facility may be waived under appropriate circumstances

5-204.11 31 Hand washing Facilities.

A hand washing facility shall be located:

(A) To allow convenient use by employees in food preparation, food dispensing, and ware washing areas; and

5-402.12 28 Conveying Sewage.

Sewage shall be conveyed to the point of disposal through an approved sanitary sewage system or other system, including use of sewage transport vehicles, waste retention tanks, pumps, pipes, hoses, and connections that are constructed, maintained, and operated according to law.

5-403.11 28 Approved Sewage Disposal System.

Sewage shall be disposed through an approved facility that is:

(A) A public sewage treatment plant; or

(B) An individual sewage disposal system that is sized, constructed, maintained, and operated according to law.

5-205.11 31 Using a Hand washing Facility.

(A) Hand washing facility shall be maintained so that it is accessible at all times for employee use.

(B) A hand washing facility may not be used for purposes other than hand washing.

5-301.11 14 Approved.

Materials that are used in the construction of mobile water tank, mobile food establishment water tank, and appurtenances shall be:

(A) Safe;

(B) Durable, corrosion-resistant, and nonabsorbent; and

5-302.11 29 Enclosed System, Sloped to Drain.

A mobile water tank shall be:

(A) Enclosed from the filling inlet to the discharge outlet; and

(B) Sloped to an outlet that allows complete drainage of the tank.

5-302.12 29 Inspection and Cleaning Port, Protected and Secured.

If a water tank is designed with an access port for inspection and cleaning, the opening shall be in the top of the tank and:

(A) Flanged upward at least 13 mm (one-half inch); and

(B) Equipped with a port cover assembly that is: (1) Provided with a gasket and a device for securing the cover in place, and (2) Flanged to overlap the opening and sloped to drain.

5-302.13 29 "V" Type Threads, Use Limitation.

A fitting with "V" type threads on a water tank inlet or outlet shall be allowed only when a hose is permanently attached.

5-302.14 29 Tank Vent, Protected.

If provided, a water tank vent shall terminate in a downward direction and shall be covered with:

(A) 16 mesh to 25.4 mm (16 mesh to 1 inch) screen or equivalent when the vent is in a protected area; or

(B) A protective filter when the vent is in an area that is not protected from windblown dirt and debris.

5-302.15 29 Inlet and Outlet, Sloped to Drain.

(A) A water tank and its inlet and outlet shall be sloped to drain.

(C) A water tank inlet shall be positioned so that it is protected from contaminants such as waste discharge, road dust, oil, or grease.

5-302.16 14 Hose, Construction and Identification.

A hose used for conveying drinking water from a water tank shall be:

(A) Safe;

(B) Durable, corrosion-resistant, and nonabsorbent;

(D) Finished with a smooth interior surface; and

(E) Clearly and durably identified as to its use if not permanently attached. Numbers and Capacities

5-303.11 29 Filter, Compressed Air.

A filter that does not pass oil or oil vapors shall be Installed in the air supply line between the compressor and drinking water system when compressed air is used to pressurize the water tank system.

5-303.12 29 Protective Cover or Device.

A cap and keeper chain, closed cabinet, closed storage tube, or other approved protective cover or device shall be provided for a water inlet, outlet, and hose.

5-303.13 29 Mobile Food establishment Tank Inlet.

A mobile food establishment's water tank inlet shall be:

(A) 19.1 mm (three-fourths inch) in inner diameter or less; and

(B) Provided with a hose connection of a size or type that will prevent its use for any other service.

5-401.11 28 Capacity and Drainage.

A sewage holding tank in a mobile food establishment shall be:

(A) Sized 15 percent larger in capacity than the water supply tank; and

(B) Sloped to a drain that is 25 mm (1 inch) in inner diameter or greater, equipped with a shut-off valve. Retention, Drainage, and Delivery: Design, Construction and Installation

5-402.14 28 Removing Mobile Food establishment Wastes.

Sewage and other liquid wastes shall be removed from a mobile food establishment at an approved waste servicing area or by a sewage transport vehicle in such a way that a public health hazard or nuisance is not created.

5-402.15 28 Flushing a Waste Retention Tank.

A tank for liquid waste retention shall be thoroughly flushed and drained in a sanitary manner during the servicing operation. Disposal Facility: design and construction

Requirements for opening a mobile food service establishment