New food safety measures keep guests safe and healthy
Good nutrition is key to keeping people healthy, happy and productive. That’s why the Twin Cities Salvation Army is proud to partner with Lunds and Byerlys and other grocers to provide fresh “rescued” food that would otherwise go to waste (see KARE-11 story).
“These donations make a huge difference to us,” said Dave Johnson, Administrative Manager at The Salvation Army. “At our Harbor Light Shelter in Minneapolis, 55 percent of the food we serve is donated by Lunds and Byerlys, as is much of the fresh produce and meat we give away at our food shelves.”
Effective January 1, 2016, the food bank Second Harvest Heartland – which works with both The Salvation Army and Lunds and Bylerlys to distribute the rescued food – has implemented new food guidelines to ensure all foods are safe to eat.
These guidelines require agencies like the Army to use a temperature gun to check fresh food when it is picked up at stores and again when it arrives at local food shelves. If the food gets even one degree too warm, the Army can’t take the food or distribute it.
The Salvation Army has purchased temperature guns, freezer blankets and more cold packs to ensure the food we pick up stays cold until it can be packed into refrigerators and freezers at our locations. In addition, staff and volunteers have taken additional training in food safety.
“Although this means we may have to discard more food than we did before, safety must come first,” Johnson explained. “Everyone involved in these efforts, from the grocery stores to the food shelves, has the same goal: to provide people with food that is healthy and good for them.”
Please join The Salvation Army by volunteering or making a donation to support your local community.