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All food served to the public must be done so under licence by Public Health Services.

Click here to download pdf version of an Application for a Temporary Events Licence.  

Click here to download pdf version of Standards to Ensure Food Safety at Temporary Events booklet.   The standards for a temporary eating establishment are contained in this booklet.  Please read carefully to ensure that all requirements are met.

One-day or once-a-year events involving food service require a Temporary Events Licence.  Temporary food service vendors are temporary, short-term food service located indoors or outdoors for promotional events such as business promotions, customer appreciation days, street fairs, civic celebrations, craft fairs and trade fairs.  An individual, company or organization can operate a temporary eating establishment up to 6 days per year.  More stringent requirements may be necessary depending on the nature of your event.

A temporary events licence must be completed and signed by a public health inspector prior to the event.  There is no fee for the licence.  The licence must be posted at the temporary eating establishment during the event.  Please complete an application form and fax to (306) 655-4498.

A signed copy will be faxed back to you for posting at your event.  For larger events, the licence will be hand delivered by the Public Health Inspector at the time of the event.

Temporary event licences are also available at:

Safe Communities - Public Health Services

#101 - 310 Idylwyld Drive North

Saskatoon  SK   S7L 0Z2

Phone: (306) 655-4620

(office is located on the corner of 24th Street and Idylwyld Drive)

A temporary event licence ensures the public that the operations and foods meet the minimum standard for public health.

Be sure to check for a licence on or near the food service.  This is your assurance that the food service has been approved by a public health inspector.

The Top 6 Causes of Food Poisoning

The U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention list these circumstances as most likely to lead to illnesses.  Check through the list to make sure your event has covered these common causes of foodbourne disease.

• Inadequate cooling and cold handling.  More than half of all food poisonings are due to keeping foods out at room temperature for more than 2 - 4 hours.

• Preparing food too far ahead of service.  Food prepared 12 or more hours before service increases the risk of temperature abuse.

• Poor personal hygiene and infected personnel.  Poor hand washing habits and foodhandlers working while ill are implicated in 1 out of every 4 food poisonings.

• Inadequate hot holding.  Cooked foods not held at above 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) until served can become highly contaminated.

• Contaminated raw foods and ingredients.  Serving raw shellfish or raw milk that is contaminated, or using contaminated raw eggs in sauces and dressings, has often led to outbreaks of foodborne disease.  It is always safer to use pasteurized products.

(updated April 29, 2010)