Appropriate temperature is especially pertinent to Category 2 – Low Risk Perishable Foods and Category 3 – At Risk Perishable 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. Category 1 Non-Perishable Foods are shelf stable and can be just kept at room temperature.
Any person (e.g. volunteer, employees, transportation personnel) enter food handling areas are 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:
A person should not be handling food in the following health conditions:
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 premise 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.
Recalled Products | See updated list at www.inspection.gc.ca |
Unlabeled Products | No or illegible Best Before/Use By/Expiry Date · Product not identifiable · Unknown ingredients |
Unpasteurized Products | Juices, eggs, dairy products, home-canned products |
Damaged Goods |
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Visible mould, significantly bruised, rotten or has off odor | Although some solid foods with mould can be salvaged, they are not permitted for donation due to sensitivity with handling and contamination.
Bruising in a large area (mainly produce) degrades quickly and is not ideal for donations. |
Mishandled or unsafe foods |
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Open buffet food | Food where people served themselves |
*See appendix for reference.
If your product doesn’t belong to the unacceptable products listed above, that’s great! Now let’s evaluate the condition of the food to ensure it is definitely safe to be donated. If your business has a Quality Assurance team, they need to give the go-ahead on food safety before donations can be posted to Mesh. Any product that wouldn’t be safe for consumers should not be donated.
The danger zone is the range between 4°C and 60°C where most bacteria grow the fastest. Time that foods are kept in this temperature range should be avoided or kept as short as possible. Category 2 and 3 Foods (Table 2) should be kept in their proper storage temperature.
Category | Examples |
1 – Non-Perishable Foods | Canned goods, dry products (pasta, bread, sugar, legumes), packaged foods that don’t require refrigeration |
2 – Low Risk Perishable Foods | Whole produce – fruits and vegetables (have not been cut or processed) |
3 – At Risk Foods Perishable Foods | Meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, & protein alternatives, associated products containing these foods, processed products that require refrigeration |
4 – Prepared Foods | Cooked or already prepared foods (restaurants, catering events) |
The following figure is a flow chart to help determine whether the safety of the product considered for donation. If after using the flow chart and you’re uncertain about the fit for donation, contact us to help figure this out.
Best before date or sell by date is a more of an indicator of quality than safety. Food generally declines in quality before there is an increased risk food safety. Often freezing products can significantly prolong the life of the product.
As an overall rule, foods should be kept at their proper storage temperatures and not be removed until it is ready for donation.
Product Category | Time Past Best Before Date | ||
Room Temperature | Refrigerated | Frozen | |
Fresh Fruit & Vegetables | 2-7 days | 1-4 Weeks (produce dependent) | 1 Year |
Fruit or Vegetable Juices (Tetra Pak or Bottled not requiring refrigeration before opening) | 1 month (Tetra Pak) | 3-6 months (Tetra Pak) | 1 Year |
Breads | 1 Week | 2 Week | 1 Month |
Grains & Cereals | 6-12 Months | N/A | N/A |
Soups & Stews (Could be in Food Service Package or larger) | < 2 Hours, 1 Year if canned | 2-3 Days | 3 Months |
Meat (Uncooked) | < 2 Hours | 3-4 Days | Red meats & whole poultry: 12 Months, poultry pieces: 6 months, ground meat: 2-3 Months, fish 2-6 Months, shellfish 2-4 Months |
Meat (Cooked) | < 2 Hours, 1 Year if canned | Fish & shellfish: 1-2 days, others: 3 days | Red meat: 3 Months, whole poultry: 2 Months, food mixture: 3 Months |
Deli meat | < 2 Hours, 1 Year if canned | 5-7 days | 2-3 months |
Dairy | < 2 Hours after opening | 2 weeks (after opening/reconstituted) | 6 months |
Combination Foods (contains a mix group of foods) | 1 Year if canned | N/A | 3 Months |
Fats (oils, butter, plant-alternatives) | 1 Week | 3 Months | 6 Months |
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:
10 identified major allergens in Canada:
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.
Category 3 – High Risk Perishable foods should not be out of proper storage temperature more longer than 2 hours (including transportation, storage, cooling).