External Food On-Campus

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External Food On-Campus

Planning an event on-campus with food from an external vendor? Serving food can be a great way to bring members together, but it also comes with important health and safety responsibilities. Use the following steps to help ensure your event meets Alberta Health Services (AHS) requirements and provides a safe experience for everyone attending.

Before Your Event

Complete the following requirements before serving food at your event:

  • Submit an Event Submission form through ookslife.ca.
  • Upload valid Food Safety Certificates for all club members who will be handling food.
  • Complete and submit the AHS Food Event Registration Form.
  • Be prepared for a possible inspection. An Alberta Health Services inspector may contact you with recommendations, and NAITSA Campus Clubs may audit your event at any time.
During Your Event

To help keep food safe for attendees:

  • Schedule food pick-up or delivery no more than one hour before your event begins.
  • Follow all food safety and handling requirements outlined in the Food Handling Guidelines.
  • Monitor and maintain safe food temperatures throughout the event. Food should be kept at the following temperatures:
    • Cold food: below 4°C (39°F)
    • Hot food: above 60°C (140°F)
  • Food cannot sit out longer than two hours.

To support clubs, NAITSA Campus Clubs offers the following equipment through CHEQROOM:

  • Pizza Bags
  • Buffet Warmers
  • A Cooler
  • Food Safety Handling Bin
  • Handwashing Station

Clubs are responsible for providing any additional supplies needed to safely store, prepare, serve, or transport food.

After Your Event

Once your event wraps up, take time to clean, store, and return food-related items properly. This helps keep students safe and ensures equipment is ready for the next club.

  • Wash all food handling equipment with soap and let it dry fully before storing it. This helps prevent mold.
  • Wipe down all surfaces where food was served or eaten using disinfectant. Sweep or clean up floors where food was served or eaten.
  • Store leftover food safely by following the Food Handling Guidelines. Clubs are still responsible for the food, even if it is eaten after the event.
  • Dispose of any food that was served buffet-style, including food kept in buffet warmers, open pizza boxes, or shared serving containers.
Important Food Safety Guidelines

Please keep the following requirements in mind:

  • Only serve food from approved vendors that hold a valid business licence and operate under government regulations.
  • If you hire an external caterer, we strongly recommend that the caterer serves the food rather than club volunteers or members who do not hold a Food Safety Certificate.
  • Food prepared in a non-commercial kitchen may only be served as part of a bake sale.
  • Leave your event space cleaner than you found it. Clubs are responsible for providing garbage bags, recycling bags, disinfectant, and other cleaning supplies as needed.
  • If additional garbage bins are required, contact facilities@nait.ca before your event.

Food Handling Guidelines

To keep your event safe and sanitary, follow these essential food handling practices:

  • All food must be individually wrapped or covered at all times. 
  • Use gloves when handling food, and sanitize hands before gloving. 
  • No public contact with food—use designated food handlers only. 
  • Separate food handling and cash handling roles.
  • Serve food with disposable utensils, and keep handles facing customers. 
  • Long hair must be tied back. 
  • Only serve food from approved sources with a business license.
  • Use proper waste disposal: garbage bins for waste, pour liquids into approved drains. 
  • Maintain safe food temperatures: 
    • Cold food: below 4°C (39°F)
    • Hot food: above 60°C (140°F)
  • If requested by AHS, clubs may need to provide a handwashing station—NAITSA Campus Clubs has one available for booking on Cheqroom. 

The Equipment Staging Area at NAITSA has a sink and cleaning supplies available to sanitize your equipment before or after your event.

Food Safety Handling Equipment & Supplies

Clubs are responsible for bringing the supplies needed to safely serve food and clean up after the event.

Recommended supplies include:

  • Serving utensils, such as tongs and serving spoons
  • Eating utensils. Disposable utensils are recommended
  • Plates or bowls
  • Disinfectant spray and cloths for tables
  • A broom for floors
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Ice or cooling packs for coolers
  • Napkins or paper towels for spills
  • Hand soap for a handwashing station
  • A hand towel for drying hands
  • Gloves for food service
  • Aprons, especially when serving messy food
  • Extra hair ties to keep hair tied back
  • A lighter for buffet warmer fuel
  • Containers for leftovers
Free Food Safety Certification

All student-prepared food events require at least two certified persons per shift. We recommend that as many volunteers as possible complete the course.

How to Get Certified for Free:

  1. Visit ahs.ca/ephed.
  2. Go to Online Courses, select “Alberta Food Safety Basics Interactive Course”.
  3. Click “Register Here” to create an account.
  4. Follow the email instructions to activate your account.
  5. Log in and find the course under Catalog.
  6. Complete the course and quiz (2–3 hours total).
  7. Download your certificate immediately.
     (Note: AHS may delete inactive accounts without warning)

Upload the certificates to your Event Submission form on ookslife.ca.

List of Recommended Vendors:
  • Pizza 73
  • Dominos 
  • Chipotle
  • Firehouse Subs
  • Padmanadi
  • Chopped Leaf
  • Famoso
  • Boston Pizza (Kingways Mall location offers discount of NAIT students)
  • The Canadian Brewhouse
  • Subway
  • Osmos

 

Have a question? Contact us here.