Bake Sales

Bake Sale Guidelines

A permit may be required for your bake sale, depending on the items you’re selling.

Student organizations are required to obtain prior approval from the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) to host bake sales. Call CSI at (530) 752-2027.
Items that DON’T require a permit from Environmental Health & Safety

This includes prepackaged baked goods, candy, and beverages that do not require baking or refrigeration. The items must be prepackaged in individual servings. Bake sale items with meat, cream or custard toppings or fillings may not be sold.

Preparing, Packaging and Portioning Items

Approved bake sale items can be prepared, assembled, portioned and packaged in private homes provided good sanitation practices are followed throughout the processes. EH&S inspectors perform periodic inspections of campus bake sales. In the event compliance with the following guidelines cannot be met, organizers may be required to discontinue sales until the necessary corrections are made.

Bake Sale Rules and Guidelines

Download a copy of these guidelines (.pdf)

  1. Baked items that require refrigeration (41°F or colder) or hot holding (135°F or hotter) cannot be sold.
  2. Sound sanitation practices, such as using clean equipment, must be followed when preparing, packaging, storing, transporting, displaying and selling bake sale items.
  3. Those preparing, packaging, transporting displaying or selling bake sale items must be free of communicable diseases such as colds, the flu and hepatitis. Their hands and arms must be free of wounds, cuts and sores.
  4. Those contributing or participating in the bake sale must wash their hands before working and after each break, especially after smoking and restroom breaks.
  5. Organizers must maintain a list of everyone contributing food items for sale. The list should include each contributor's name, address and identify the item they contributed.
  6. Ingredient information must be available upon request or each item must be properly labeled. Displaying a sign indicating "Ingredient Information Available Upon Request" and maintaining photocopies of recipes at the bake sale table is sufficient.
  7. All food ingredients must be pure, wholesome, free from contamination and be obtained from approved sources (i.e., grocery store).
  8. All food items and the plates or containers they are served on must be completely wrapped as individual servings. Saran wrap is a suitable and readily available covering.
  9. Eating utensils must be single use and disposable. The utensils must be individually wrapped or displayed with their handles up to prevent contamination.

If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact EH&S-Health and Safety for consultation.