Food Safety

Why is Food Safety Important?
Emergency food relief programs serve many people who are at increased risk for illness due to weakened immune systems. These groups include: the very young, the very old, pregnant women, HIV positive persons, and anyone taking medications. Food relief programs provide a wonderful service in our communities. However, it is important to remember that food safety is critical, especially when serving high-risk populations and large numbers of people.

Foodborne illness occurs when food is not properly stored or handled. Careful precautions must be taken to insure that our community members not only receive nutritious foods, but receive food that is safe. Following food safety precautions allows food relief organizations to serve the public with confidence. Check out this page for key information to help keep food safe.

Questions? Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact Foodlink’s Nutrition Resource Manager: lsugarwala@foodlinkny.org

Food Safety Files
The Food Keeper
Evaluating Containers
Can Safety Quick Tips
Food Safety for the Volunteer Worker Brochure
Top 10 Violations

Fight Bac – 4 Steps to Safe Food Preparation
Clean
Separate
Cook (with cooking temperature chart)
Chill

Food Safety Links
National Food Safety Initiative
National Food Safety Initiative Keep Food Safe
Center for Disease Control (CDC) Foodborne Illness

Can Safety
Do you have cans that are dented? Wait! Don't throw them out! There are simple steps to evaluate cans to ensure they are safe for use. Visit our Can Safety Flyer to read guidelines.

Code Dates and Shelf Life
The goal of Emergency Food Relief Organizations is to provide as much healthy, safe food as possible in the community. As food relief organizations, we use different criteria for evaluating products than a restaurant or other retailer in the community. Safety and quality are two different things.

Although a retailer may reject a food because of its age that may result in decreased quality (loss of color, taste, or change in texture), many of these foods are perfectly safe and often maintain their integrity for an extended period of time. If food products are stored at proper temperatures in sound containers, they can often be used well past the date on the package.

Cornell University Department of Food Science and the Food Marketing Institute have developed “The Food Keeper” for research-based guidelines on how long food can safely be stored. Download a copy now from the Food Safety Files list above.

Safe Temperatures
Bacteria that can cause food borne illness multiply at certain temperatures. Therefore, we must be sure to store and prepare our foods using the correct temperatures.

Cold foods must be maintained at 41 degrees F or below. The optimal temperature for refrigerators/coolers is 37 degrees F (HACCP, 1994).

Foods must reach a certain temperature in preparation in order to kill harmful bacteria. Different types of foods have different temperature requirements for cooking. Download a listing of these temperature requirements here.

Hot foods must be held at 141 degrees F or above.

Temperatures should be checked every two hours.

Foods that have been in the "Danger Zone" (41-141 degrees F) for more than two hours should be discarded.

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