Food safety guide

Appropriate temperature is especially pertinent to Categories 3 and 4 – potentially hazardous foods. These foods are at risk for temperature abuse if they are not kept at their proper storage temperatures. Foods that require refrigeration should be kept between 0°C to 4°C and frozen foods at –18°C or less. Category 1 Non-Perishable Foods are shelf stable and can be just kept at room temperature.

Any person (e.g. volunteer, employees, transportation personnel) prior to entering food handling areas, is required to properly wash their hands and immediately after contacting contaminated materials. Frequent hand washing is encouraged and volunteers or transportation personnel should wash their hands again:

• After eating, smoking, or using the washroom
• Handling of any raw meat, poultry, or seafood

A person should not be handling food in the following health conditions:

• Have experienced diarrhea or vomiting within the last 72 hours
• Experiencing persistent coughing, sneezing, fever, sore throat
• Suffering from contagious diseases or infections (e.g. Hepatitis A, influenza)
• Have an open cut or wound (must be covered with a waterproof bandage if handling food)

Gloves should be worn when there needs to be direct contact with foods.

Important decisions are made when someone is handling food and proper training are needed for those involved in main aspects of donating the food such as operating, handling, and distributing of foods.

FOODSAFE is a course recommended for handlers of food. The Food Premises Regulation instructs every operator of a food service establishment to hold a FOODSAFE certificate or its equivalence. Volunteers, operating employees, and handlers of the food are encouraged to complete at minimum the FOODSAFE Level 1 Program or equivalent. This certificate is valid for five years after the training is successfully completed.

For details, see the FOODSAFE website.

Record keeping is important in keeping track of products. In case of a recall, the donor is able identify whether the donated products have been affected. Information pertinent to the product for donation should include the following:

• Name of Product
• Date of Harvest/Manufacturing
• Lot Number/Production Code
• Quantity Produced
• Best Before Date/Expiry Date/Sell By Date
• Required Storage Temperature
• Ingredient List & potential allergen – if applicable

10 identified major allergens in Canada:

1. Eggs
2. Milk
3. Mustard
4. Peanuts
5. Seafood (fish, shellfish)
6. Sesame
7. Soy
8. Sulphites
9. Tree Nuts (including coconut)
10. Wheat

Food recipients may have the capacity to pick up while others may need the food delivered. This would be coordinated on FoodMesh. Perishable foods should be kept in appropriate temperatures during transportation through mechanical refrigeration or chilled chest coolers.

• Always use a clean and sanitary transport vehicle
• Food should not be directly in contact with the ground (i.e. where persons may be walking) and need to be in transported in safe, non-absorbent, leak-proof containers.
• If temperature-controlled transportation is not available, foods should be labeled “processed immediately” for donation.

Category 3 – Potentially hazardous foods should not be out of proper storage temperature more longer than 2 hours (including transportation, storage, cooling).