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Alberta Food Handler overview

Alberta Food Handler: Special events, community functions and home food

Temporary food establishments at special events, community organization functions, bed and breakfasts and low-risk home-prepared food sold under Alberta's Food Regulation.

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Special events, community functions and home food · Question 1Score 0/0

Where may barbecues be used at a temporary food establishment?

Study reference: Alberta food safety law (Oct 2026), Ch. 10 Special events, community functions and home food — Food Regulation Parts 4, 5, 6 and 6.1 (ss. 37 to 52.2)

All 17 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

  1. Where may barbecues be used at a temporary food establishment?

    1. In a segregated area next to the stall, away from the public
    2. Inside a neighbouring vendor's tent at any time
    3. In the middle of the crowd so that people can watch the cooking
    4. Anywhere at the site, as long as one is lit

  2. A café wants to buy a neighbour's homemade jam to sell at its counter. Is this allowed?

    1. No, low-risk home-prepared food may not be resold
    2. Yes, if the jam jars are properly sealed
    3. Yes, as long as the café adds its own label to each jar
    4. Yes, if the jam is kept in the fridge

  3. Who must the organizer of a community organization function notify?

    1. The local fire department only
    2. Every guest by registered mail
    3. The regional health authority
    4. The Canada Revenue Agency

  4. Which home-canned foods may a bed and breakfast serve to guests?

    1. Home-canned meats, if heated thoroughly
    2. Any home-canned food made by the owner
    3. Only jam, jelly and pickles
    4. Home-canned soups, if labelled with a date

  5. What must the label on low-risk home-prepared food state?

    1. Only the price and the weight of the product
    2. That it was made in an uninspected home kitchen and is not for resale
    3. That it was approved by Alberta Health Services
    4. The calorie count, a best-before date and a government inspection number

  6. What is the minimum handwashing set-up at a temporary food stall?

    1. A bottle of drinking water that staff share to rinse their hands
    2. A jug with a turnable spout over a waste bucket, soap and paper towels
    3. A bucket of water that all staff dip their hands into
    4. A damp cloth kept in a sealed bag for wiping hands

  7. May a temporary food stall at a festival handle food prepared in a vendor's home kitchen?

    1. No, except packaged low-risk home-prepared food sold by its maker
    2. Yes, if it is reheated to 60 °C before serving
    3. Yes, if the vendor has a food safety certificate
    4. Yes, any home cooking may be sold at a festival with a sign

  8. Which food may NOT be served at a community organization function?

    1. Unpasteurized milk
    2. Baked ham
    3. Homemade cookies
    4. Mashed potatoes

  9. What utensils should a temporary food stall give to its customers?

    1. Single-service utensils, unless another option is approved
    2. Utensils that customers bring from home
    3. Metal forks rinsed in a bucket between customers
    4. Wooden spoons washed once at the end of each day of the event

  10. How large must a stall's waste water holding tank be?

    1. Any size, if it is emptied every day
    2. At least 50% of the potable water supply
    3. Exactly the same size as one jug of water
    4. At least 110% of the potable water supply

  11. How early must a temporary food stall be set up before a special event starts?

    1. Any time before it opens
    2. At least ten minutes before
    3. At least one day before
    4. At least one hour before

  12. A church holds a fundraising fall supper with food made by its members. Which rule applies?

    1. No notice is needed because it is a church event
    2. Only staff with certificates may cook any dish
    3. Attendees must be told some food was not made in an approved kitchen
    4. All of the food must be bought from a licensed caterer in town

  13. What happens to leftover food after a community organization function?

    1. It is donated to a restaurant for resale
    2. It is kept at the hall for the next event
    3. It is discarded or taken home by the organization's members
    4. It is sold the next day at a bake sale to raise more money

  14. A festival runs for 5 days. What extra does a food stall need beyond a one-day event?

    1. A permit from the federal government for each day
    2. A second cashier and a larger menu board at the front
    3. Plumbed water, hot water and a sink to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils
    4. Nothing extra at all, because the same rules apply to events of every length

  15. How must waste water from a temporary food stall be handled?

    1. Left in an open bucket for the cleaners
    2. Collected and disposed of in a sanitary way
    3. Used again to rinse the cooking pots
    4. Poured onto the grass behind the stall at closing time

  16. Which product counts as low-risk home-prepared food under Alberta's Food Regulation?

    1. Homemade cookies with no meat or unpasteurized milk
    2. Homemade smoked salmon sold in sealed bags
    3. Homemade beef jerky made in a home kitchen
    4. Homemade cheese made from unpasteurized milk

  17. Where must food and utensils be kept at a temporary food stall?

    1. In the vendor's car trunk
    2. Beside the waste bucket
    3. On a tarp on the ground
    4. Off the ground

Special events, community functions and home food: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Part 4 Special events and temporary food establishments (ss. 37 to 45)

  • The organizer of a special event must notify the health authority and tell each temporary food vendor to notify it too; vendors must notify the health authority before operating.
  • The organizer must hold the event in a dry, well-maintained area and protect potable water lines with backflow preventers.
  • A temporary food establishment must be set up at least one hour before the event starts, with smooth, non-absorbent, cleanable food surfaces, all equipment except barbecues inside it, barbecues in a segregated area the public cannot reach, and food areas separated from the public.
  • It needs a handwashing station with running water (at minimum a jug with a turnable spout over a waste bucket), paper towels and liquid soap, or an approved hand sanitizer alternative.
  • Waste water must be collected and disposed of sanitarily, never dumped on the ground; waste water tanks hold at least 110% of the potable water supply; garbage containers are lined and emptied at least at the end of each day.
  • Events longer than one day need non-absorbent floors (asphalt, concrete, finished plywood) and walls and ceilings; events longer than 3 days need plumbed water, a sink large enough to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils, hot water, and water lines flushed for 2 minutes each morning.
  • Food handling: protect food from dust, rain and pests; use probe and cold-storage thermometers; give patrons single-service utensils unless approved otherwise; keep an approved sanitizer and a way to test its strength; dispense self-serve condiments from squeeze, pump or self-closing containers; keep food and utensils off the ground; wash and sanitize food-contact surfaces at least daily and between raw and cooked foods; use inspected sources; no home-prepared foods (other than low-risk home-prepared food vendors under s. 42.1).

Part 5 Community organization functions (ss. 46 to 50)

  • A community organization function is an occasional public event run by a non-profit (such as a church, service club or sports team) to raise funds, with food from volunteer caterers, such as fall suppers or wild game dinners.
  • The organizer must notify the health authority; a function may run more than 2 days only with written permission.
  • Food not prepared in an approved establishment must be prepared and donated by members of the organization, and attendees must be told such food is being served.
  • Unpasteurized milk, uninspected meat (except permitted wild game) and unfit food may not be used or served; leftovers are thrown out or taken home by members; pets are kept out of food areas.

Part 6 Bed and breakfasts (ss. 51, 52)

  • A bed and breakfast (owner-occupied home serving overnight guests, up to 8 registered guests at a time) needs a permit; food must come from approved sources, and no home-canned food other than jam, jelly and pickles may be served.
  • A food-grade thermometer is kept in the refrigerator and checked regularly; liquid soap and paper towels are at the kitchen sink; pets are kept out of food and dining areas during service.

Part 6.1 Low-risk home-prepared food (ss. 52.1, 52.2)

  • Low-risk home-prepared food is low-risk food made in the operator's own home, containing no meat, poultry, seafood or unpasteurized milk.
  • It may be sold from the home or at a special event, but may not be resold or used as an ingredient in food for sale.
  • Labels must state that the food was prepared in a home kitchen not subject to inspection and is not for resale, plus the operator's name and contact, the product name and the preparation date (not required for unprocessed horticultural products).
  • At special events, the food must be packaged and the vendor needs access to handwashing or hand sanitizer; free individually portioned samples are allowed.

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