Food Safety, Food Recovery

1
Food Safety, Food Recovery

• Anne Alfred MPH, RS
• Health and Environmental Investigator II
• Public Health Seattle King County
• anne.alfred_at_kingcounty.gov
• December 11, 2007

2
Public Health pieces

• Disease prevention through improved diet to
  vulnerable populations
• Regulations and guidance for assisting in safe
  food recovery
• Applying regulations and tools for safe outcome
  in food donation

3
Food insecurity in our communities

• In King County, programs that receive from FLL
  (2006)
• 231,000 unduplicated food bank visits
• Population of King County is 1.8 M (2006
  estimate)
• 2, 326,000 meals served at meal programs
• -
  Kelsey Beck Food Life Line

4
Food insecurity in our communities

• In city of Seattle, for foodbanks that receive
  city funds,
• 24 recipients are children
• 30 recipients are seniors
• Meal programs that receive city funds
• 25 children
• 50 seniors
• - Fe Arreola-Seattle HSD

5
Food insecurity in our communities

• In Washington state last year, there were 1.2
  million food bank visits. The population
  estimate for 2006 is almost 6.4 million. Nearly
  19 of population used a food bank last year.
  40 of these users were children.
• With these numbers, why are food security
  services not mainstream.
• -Tracy Wilking Washington Food Council

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Food quality

• Most foodbanks and meal programs run on little
  money.
• Currently, emergency food is at lowest levels in
  years
• Many programs are at constrained by what is
  donated, sometimes its great, sometimes its a
  challenge

7
One public health outcome of sporadic or poor
nutrition

• Chronic preventable diseases
• Diabetes/insulin resistance
• Obesity/malnutrition
• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• -
  Healthcare for the Homeless

8
Who accesses meal programs and food banks?

• Homeless
• Working poor
• Seniors
• Mothers and children

9
Homeless

• 1 in 4 persons homeless are military veterans
  (VA)
• At least one-half of homeless persons have at
  least one chronic illness, and they often have
  several
• Life expectancy of a homeless person is 43-52
  years
• Major cause of death in homeless is untreated
  chronic disease
• 
  -Healthcare for the
  Homeless

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Homeless

• In King County, 8 of homeless population are
  children under 8 years old
• -Safe Harbors, King county
  database for tracking homeless

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• Poverty is the main cause of a poor diet
• Cheap foods are often (not always) lower
  nutrient, high fructose corn syrup, more fat,
  higher sodium
• Unfortunately, these are often foods donated

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We have regulations, we have guidelines, we can
help!

• Groceries and restaurants feel comfortable
  donating day old pastries, but not their
  rotisserie chickens.
• Washington Administrative Code 246-215 sec. 9-4
• Good Samaritan Act
• FDA document Comprehensive Guidelines for Food
  Recovery Programs

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WAC 246-215 sec. 9-4

• Donated food distributing organizations.
• (a) All foods are donated to needy persons under
  the provisions of chapter 69.80 RCW     (b)
  Potentially hazardous food items are served
  within eight hours of preparation and     (c)
  Potentially hazardous food items are not cooled
  and reheated on-site.     (5) The person in
  charge of a donated food distributing
  organization must ensure

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WAC 246-215 sec. 9-4

• Equipment for cold holding, heating, and hot
  holding foods are sufficient in number and
  capacity to provide food temperatures specified
  in chapter 3 of the Food Code     (b) Food
  contact surfaces are thoroughly cleaned before
  each use     (c) A sink for handwashing is
  accessible and conveniently located for use by
  food employees during all times of food
  preparation and service of unwrapped foods

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WAC 246-215 sec. 9-4

•      (b) Surplus foods have not been previously
  served to a person     (c) Potentially
  hazardous foods have been kept under continuous
  temperature control above 140F or below 45F
  during handling, storage, and transport, except
  for a maximum of two hours during
  preparation     (d) Foods have been protected
  from contamination during handling and storage by
  intact original commercial packaging or sanitary
  food-grade containers and     (e) Foods have
  been handled and transported in separate
  containers as needed to prevent potential
  cross-contamination between ready-to-eat and
  nonready-to-eat foods.

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RCW 69.80.031Good Samaritan food donation act

• (3) A person or gleaner is not subject to civil
  or criminal liability arising from the nature,
  age, packaging, or condition of apparently
  wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery
  product that the person or gleaner donates in
  good faith to a nonprofit organization for
  ultimate distribution to needy individuals,
  except that this subsection does not apply to an
  injury to or death of an ultimate user or
  recipient of the food or grocery product that
  results from an act or omission of the donor
  constituting gross negligence or intentional
  misconduct.

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FDA - Comprehensive Guidance for Food Recovery
Programs

• Provides guidance on food safety procedures
• Guidance chart for assessment of food on receipt
• Forms to simplify record keeping

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Other programs

• Food Life Line
• Various programs that have started throughout the
  country
• Susan Ernsdorff