2. Handling of Food and Drink

Introduction

  • To serve food and drink, you must submit "[3]Request on Handling Food and Drink".
  • Please refer to "5. Example of Recipes" for information on the ingredients, cooking procedures, utensils, and containers of representative menus.
  • If deemed dangerous from a hygiene standpoint by the Public Health Center, even if your food and drink service meet the standards for providing food and drink, the Committee may ask you to change the cooking procedures or menu.
  • The Committee will make all arrangements with the Public Health Center, therefore please do not contact the Public Health Center directly.
  • The Committee will conduct a seminar on food hygiene in the 3rd Information Session for a hygienic food and drink service. Projects with food and drink service must attend the seminar.

Cooking Procedures

  • Cooking procedures is classified into non-heating procedures and heating procedures.

Non-Heating Procedure

  • The “Non-heating procedures” refer to cooking procedures that do not involve heat, such as mixing.

Heating Procedures

  • The "Heating procedures" refer to procedures such as boiling, baking, steaming, frying and fry-stirring.
  • As a rule, food products that require more than one heating procedure are prohibited.
⚪︎Allowed×Not Allowed
  • Yakisoba
    • Allowed because it involves only one heating procedure: to heat meat, vegetable and noodles
  • Okonomiyaki
    • Allowed beacuse it involves a non-heating procedure: to mix the ingredients, and only one heating procedure: to grill them
  • Bowl of rice topped with deep-fried chicken
    • Not allowed because it involves two heating procedures: to heat packed rice and to fry chicken

Main Items and Sub Items

  • At the May Festival, menus are categorized into Main Items and Sub Items based onthe number of cooking procedures.

Main Items

  • Main Items are foods that require one or more cooking procedures.
  • You may handle only one Main Item.
  • As a rule, you must heat Main Item until just before serving.
Examples
  • Yakisoba→"stir-frying" meat and vegetables
  • Black Tea→"boiling" water
  • Cocktail→"mixing" alcohol and juice
Examples of ingredients that can be exceptionally used without being heated beforehand
  • Shaved ice, ice cream, Tokoroten, chocolate covered fruits (e.g. chocolate covered bananas), cocktail, bread, condiments, beverages, ready-made snacks stored at room temperature, and others that the Public Health Center consideres appropriate from a hygienic standpoint.
    • Even in cases where you use these ingredients, please note that you must comply with the hygiene standards listed in "Precautions".

Sub Items

  • "Sub Items" are foods that do not require any cooking procedures and can be served directly.
  • "Sub Items" are categorized into 4 types: soft drinks, alcohol, ready-made snacks and fresh vegetables or fruits.
    • Soft drinks and alcohol can be served in cups with ice.
    • For ready-made snacks, individually packaged snacks may be allowed to be served in an opened state, provided that it is opened immediately before serving.
    • For fresh vegetables or fruits, only uncooked products can be served as "Sub Items."
    • Please also refer to "Foods and Serving Items" for other hygiene standards.
  • You may handle multiple "Sub Items".

Handling Main Item and Sub Item at the Same Time

  • Project can serve "Main Item" and "Sub Item" at the same time.
⚪︎Allowed×Not Allowed
  • Yakisoba (Main Item) + bottled beverage (Sub Item)
  • Beef skewers (Main Item) + ready-made pastry (Sub Item) + bottled beverage in a cup (Sub Item)
  • Coffee brewed using a coffee maker (Main Item) + Churros (Main Item)
    • Not allowed as there will be more than one Main Item.

Precautions

Purchasing

  • Ingredients that require cold storage you use in your project must be purchased on the morning of each day of the May Festival.
  • Only ingredients that is unopened and can be stored at room temperature can be carried over to the next day. From a hygienic standpoint, you are not permitted to leave any food on the campuses overnight that has been opened, or that cannot be stored at room temperature.
    • If any food that has been opened or that cannot be stored at room temperature is found to be left during the night, the Committee will confiscate it. The Committee is not responsible for any disadvantage due to the confiscation of food.
    • It is also prohibited to take those food home and bring them back to use them the next day.
    • Beverages and oils will be distributed by two-day batch only on May 24th (Sat.) (the first day of the May Festival). As long as they are unopened, they can be carried over to the next day.

Pre-Cooking

  • Pre-cooking refers to all cooking procedures other than ones done at the project place on the day of the festival.
  • All pre-cooking is prohibited.

Cutting and Skewering

  • From a hygienic standpoint, cutting foods and skewering foods are prohibited.
    • Blenders and food processors are also prohibited from use.
    • When ingredients need to be cut, please use pre-cut ones.
    • Please purchase already-skewered items such as yakitori and skewered beef.

Storage

  • Food should be stored hygienically until just before cooking.
  • Except for those that can be stored at room temperature, all foods must be stored in coolers.
    • Coolers in which you store foods must always be filled with sufficient amounts of ice or refrigerants and always kept closed except when taking foods or ice in and out.
    • Please prepare ice or refrigerants to fill approximately one-sixth of the cooler’s volume.
  • Please bring coolers with sufficient capacity to store the foods, or rent them through the Committee. If necessary, please check the form in "[4]Order on Goods Rental".
    • If any ingredients that is not in coolers are found left unattended, they may be confiscated or prohibited from use.
  • You can purchase ice through the Committee. If necessary, please check the form in "[5]Order on Purchasing Food and Items".
  • To prevent dust and dirt from getting in and being exposed to direct sunlight, we strongly recommend to keep foods and coolers on the far side from the street inside your tent, and on or under the desk.
  • Do not defrost frozen food until just before cooking. Avoid thawing food naturally at room temperature. Defrost it slowly in the cooler, or heat it while still frozen.
  • Ice cream, frozen seafood, and other ingredients which the Committee considered to be necessary must be stored in a refrigerator or a freezer.
    • You can rent "Home freezer" or "Refrigerator-Freezer" through the Committee. If necessary, please check the form in "[4]Order on Goods Rental".
  • Do not re-freeze food once thawed for use.

Cooking Place and Tools

  • Please keep the cooking place and tools clean at all times.
  • In your tent, please place a fire resistant sheet on the ground, and when cooking, set side curtains on three sides of the tent without a gap.
  • It is recommended that you use disposable cooking tools. Please make sure to maintain the hygiene of non-disposable cooking tools as well, such as by cleaning them regularly.
  • On the days of the May Festival, the Committee sets up simple cleaning facilities, called "Washing Place" (水洗場) on Hongo and Yayoi campuses. Further details such as locations will be provided at the 3rd Information Session.

Water

  • Water used for cooking must be drinking water that is procured on your own.
    • You can purchase drinking water "Irohasu" through the Committee. If necessary, please check the form "[5]Order on Purchasing Food and Items".
    • Water from "Washing Place" cannot be used for cooking.
  • Boiling noodles is prohibited due to the insufficiency of cleaning facilities, water supply and drainage system.
  • When using a pot to stew food, always heat, stir and aerate the pot to prevent bacteria from growing at the bottom of the pot. You must also change the entire contents of the pot every 2 hours.
    • We recommend you to have at least two pots, as the contents of pots must be changed regularly.
    • Please note that water-boiling spot that was set up in previous years will not be installed at this year’s May Festival due to a decrease in the number of users.

Cook and Clothing

  • When cooking, please wear clean and appropriate clothing for cooking.
  • Please be sure to wear an apron, triangular bandage, mask, and polyethylene gloves. Please use disposable plastic gloves when you handle food instead of handling them with bare hands, and replace them with new ones frequently.

Meal Prep

  • From a hygienic standpoint, it is dangerous to prepare food in advance, therefore do not prepare food in advance and leave them until serving at any procedures including when cooking or serving.
  • Selling food outside of the project place (selling items while walking around the campus), serving food that has been cooked a long time ago, or displaying food as samples are prohibited as they are also considered as meal prep.
  • Leaving ingredients for a long time even if it is part of the cooking procedure is prohibited as they are also considered as meal prep.

Foods and Serving Items

Ingredients and Items that Must Be Handled with Special Care

  • For items not listed below, the Committee may prohibit their use, or request a change in the serving method after arrangements with the Public Health Center.
Ingredients/ItemsNotes

Items that require the use of knives, blenders, etc.

  • Due to the lack of adequate cleaning facilities, knives and blenders are not allowed.

Raw food (sashimi, raw vegetables)

  • Prohibited from serving in principle.
  • However, shaved ice, tokoroten, ready-made products (e.g. packaged snacks), and beverages are not included in the raw food category and can be served without heating procedures.

Fruit

  • When used for cooking, only heat-processed products are allowed.
    • Chocolate coated fruits (e.g. chocolate coated bananas) may be used without any heating process.
  • Raw fruit may be served if served without cooking.
  • Processed products that have been heat processed such as canned products, or packaged frozen fruit may be used for cooking. However, they must be stored in a cooler box or refrigerator.

Cream

  • In principle, the use of cream other than vegetable-based cream that can be stored at room temperature (those containing dairy ingredients such as fresh cream) is prohibited, as safety is not guaranteed.
  • The serving of ready-made cakes and choux ice cream is also prohibited if fresh cream is used.

Curry

  • Prohibited from serving due to lack of adequate cleaning facilities.
  • Retort curries can be served.

Noodles that need to be boiled

  • Noodles that need to be boiled, such as udon and soba, are not allowed to be served as adequate washing facilities, water supply and drainage facilities are not available and water cannot be secured, replaced, and drained properly.
  • Packaged noodles that do not require large amounts of water for cooking can be served.

Tapioca

  • Boiling tapioca is prohibited, as the subsequent cooling process causes meal prep.
  • Handling dried tapioca is also prohibited.
  • Tapioca is allowed only if heating and cooling can be done in its packaged state.
    • Be sure to use packets of single servings.

Ice cream

  • It is prohibited to serve ice cream using metal spoons, etc., as it is dangerous from a hygienic standpoint.
  • Individual packaged items such as portion ice cream and choux ice cream may be served. In this case, you must use a freezer.

Chicken

  • Allowed only if heat-processed.

Pork

  • Pork must be stored in a cooler until just before the cooking procedure, and must be heated well to the inside.
  • Pork must be heated for more than a minute after the core is over 75 degrees celsius.
    • We recommend to use a food core thermometer to check the core temperature.

Hormones and other offal, puffer fish, oysters

  • It is very dangerous from a hygienic standpoint and their use is prohibited.

Milk, condensed milk, and dairy products that are not heat treated

  • Use of milk, condensed milk, and dairy products are prohibited if not heat processed.
  • Can be used only if refrigerated in a cooler box before and after opening the lid, and heat processed by cooking.
  • Portion milk used for beverages can be used without being heat processed.

Okonomiyaki

  • Dough of Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, and pancakes must not be left for a long time. Please heat-process them at the same time.

Eggs and processed egg products

  • Can be served only if heated well to the inside.
    • Semi-cooked items are not allowed to be served.
  • Cracked eggs must also not be left even for a short period of time.

Rice

  • Use of anything other than retort-packed or aseptically packaged rice is prohibited.