1. Keeping Your Pantry Safe: USDA Recommendations for Food Safety Deb Neubauer, Family Living Educator

2. Who are we serving? *Includes clients of pantry programs (65.8%), kitchen programs (28.5%), shelter programs (5.7%), n=965. Source: Hunger in America 2010 (Wisconsin). Feeding America. Demographic ProfilePercentage* Size of household 1 member 2-3 members 4+ members 35.4% 40.6% 24.1% Households with 1(+) adults employed43% Households with single parents16.4% Households with children under age 18 Children ages 0-3 39.1% 11.2% Households with anyone age 65 or older16.2% Racial background Non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic black Hispanic or Latino 68.7% 23.1% 5.2%

3. Factors that Increase the Risk of Foodborne Illness Host FactorReasons Stress Changes in metabolism reduce resistance to infection Pregnancy Altered immunity Age < 5 years Lack of developed immune system, small infective dose required Age 60-65 years Immune system deteriorating, also affected by chronic ailments Nutritional deficiency* Inadequate immune system Ingestion of fatty foods Fat protects pathogens from acid in stomach Source: Lund, B.M. and S.J. O’Brien. The Occurrence and Prevention of Foodborne Disease in Vulnerable People. 2011. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 8:961-973.  28% of food insecure households in Wisconsin report having at least one household member in poor health

4. 48 million foodborne illnesses each year 128,000 hospitalizations 3,000 deaths Economic loss is$5 billion dollars!! Cause of Illness# Cases# Deaths Bacteria 3.6 million 861 Parasites 232,705 333 Viruses 5.5 million 157 Unknown agent ~38.4 million 1,686 (56%) CDC, Dec. 2010 Annual Foodborne Illness in the U.S.

5. What Causes Foodborne Illness? Physical hazards Chemical Biological (bacteria and viruses)* – Source – Food – Temperature – Time

6. Ensuring Safe Food Protect against harmful microorganisms – Bacteria, yeast, mold, viruses Keeping spoilage under control Other contaminants – Chemical residues, pests Rules, regulations and best practices “It’s not the food that causes the illness, it’s the harmful organisms that might be present in the food. The food just carries the microorganisms.”

7. Put on your thinking cap and share your wisdom… Select a recorder. Discuss your question at your table. Select a reporter to share back 2-3 “wise nuggets” about your question.

8. 1. How are nuts and dried fruits handled at your pantry?

9. Nuts and dried fruit storage FIFO—first in, first out. Freeze or refrigerate for longer storage. Short term storage in cool, dry place.

10. 2. How do you accommodate clients with special dietary needs?

11. Accommodate special dietary needs – Offer choices and ask about dietary restrictions. – Assist clients in reading labels. – Respect accommodation requests/privacy.

12. 3. How and where do you store dried foods?

13. Maintain dry food storage – Store food on racks and pallets 6 inches off floor, 4 inches from walls and 2 feet from ceiling. – Keep rooms and shelving clean. – No toxic items, including bleach, should be stored with food. – Keep storage areas free of pests/rodents. – Insulate pipes and ducts. – Ensure a secure food storage area. – Record cleaning and food inspection dates.

14. 4. How do you handle dented cans?

15. Handling dented cans – Inspect cans for sharp dents, rust, leaking, bulging, packaging defects. – If TE-FAP food is damaged, discrepancies should be noted on P1-1412 form and reported.

16. Major (Class II) - Dents over a side seam: When inspecting cans for dents, pay close attention to where the side seam is located. In the picture to the left, there is a large dent over the side seam. Notice that there are no sharp edges or creases around the dent in the can on the left. This dent would be a Minor (Class III) defect if it were not located over the side seam. Minor (Class III) side dent: Note that the can in the picture on the right has a dent that covers a large surface of the can. This dent, although large, is only a Minor defect as it does not have sharp edges or creases. The dent also does not involve the top, bottom or side seams.

17. Minor vs. Major End Seam Dents: The dent indicated by the black arrow is a Major defect as it is larger and involves the seam. The other dent indicated by the pink arrow is a Minor defect as it only affects the rim and not the seam.

18. Critical Bottle Defects Bottles or glass containers with any of the following should be discarded: Chipped necks Cracks Discolored products

19. 5. How do you maintain safe food temperatures… In freezers? In refrigerators? On shelves?

20. Check food safety by temperature – Maintain food within optimal storage conditions. – Log and monitor temperature of freezers, refrigerator and dry storage. – Frozen food should be stored at or below 0º F. – Refrigerated food should be stored at 35-41º F. – Dry foods should be stored between 40-70º F. – These storage temperatures prevent spoilage, growth of bacteria, and help maintain food quality.

21. 6. How do you handle foods in a power outage?

22. Power Outages – Inspect any thawed foods for odor or appearance. – A half full freezer will hold food safely up to 24 hours. – A full freezer will hold food safely up to 48 hours. – Do not open freezer door.

23. 7. What do you do when non- English speaking clients come to your pantry?

24. Translating Information for non-English speaking clients – TE-FAP outlets are required to develop methods for ensuring meaningful and accurate communication. – Volunteer translators should understand client confidentiality. – Migrant households may use monthly or annual gross income to meet income limits. Si. Mui Bien Hola!

25. 8. How do you know if a food is suitable for distribution?

26. Handling expired food – Inspect non-USDA donated foods for expiration dates. – USDA commodities that have expired-contact regional EFO for guidance.

27. What is food dating? Open dating is a calendar date that includes: month, day, and year if stable or frozen and a phrase explaining meaning. Closed dating is a coded dating or numbers for use by the manufacturer for example a Julian code.

28. Food Product Dating Sell-By : tells a store how long to display a product for sale. Found on refrigerated milk, yogurt, eggs, lunch meat.  SAFE to eat IF kept refrigerated (length of time varies). Best By*: date is recommended for best flavor or quality. Found on packaged foods.  SAFE but of lower quality. Expires On : last date where product is of acceptable quality. Found on infant formula, vitamins, or drugs.  Do NOT distribute expired food. *Do NOT distribute baby food past the ‘best by’ date. Overall, dates have LITTLE to do with safety.

29. What does it mean? Expiration date: “expires 2/15/98” or do not use after 7/7/97”; do not use or give out after this date. Pack date: “packed on 9/23/98” or “192VIG2109” ; of good quality for 12-18 months. Pull date: “Sell by May 16”. Is usually found on refrigerated products. If kept refrigerated at proper temperature, will be safe to eat. If it smells bad or seal has been broken, do not consume.

30. More food dating information… Quality dates: “Better if used by”. This date is found on cereals and peanut butter. It may develop off flavors. If baby food has this kind of dating, do not use or distribute past quality date.

31. 9. How do you store grain products and rice?

32. Storage of grain products including rice – Store off the floor in a cool, dry, well ventilated area. – If ideal conditions are not available, store under refrigeration. – Use FIFO.

33. 10. What do you do with outdated baby food?

34. Handling outdated baby food – Do not distribute! – Note: this is a requirement, not a recommendation!

35. 11. How do you handle “first in, first out” recommendations?

36. Manage FIFO – First food in is distributed first. – Mark cases with arrival month and year. – Rotate oldest stock to front.

37. 12. How do you handle foods from drives or donations?

38. Handle food products from drive donations – Inspect all donated food for packaging and expiration dates.

39. Fresh Produce Do Accept Whole fresh fruits Whole fresh vegetables Chopped raw produce Do Not Accept Rotten or heavily damaged fruits, vegetables Sprouted seeds Cut melons UNLESS kept refrigerated Control Measures Separate visibly soiled produce or containers from clean product Refrigerate for extended shelf life – cut or chopped produce MUST be kept refrigerated Food grade packaging for all repackaged products*  *REPACKAGING ONLY AT DESIGNATED FACILITIES

40. Dry Goods: Cereal, Flour, Pasta Do Accept Product in original, sealed packaging Bulk items from a known source Labels showing: identity, ingredients, net wt., distributor Do Not Accept Opened or damaged packages or cartons Unlabeled product Control Measures Labels MUST clearly define potential allergens Store all dry products off the floor Food grade packaging for all repackaged products*  *REPACKAGING IS NOT GENERALLY ALLOWED

41. Canned Goods Do Accept Canned goods in original, sealed package Cases with at least one original label Do Not Accept Home canned or home jarred items Canned foods from an unlicensed processor Open, bulging, punctured, pitted, rusted or seriously damaged cans Unlabeled or illegibly labeled cans or jars Baby food past the expiration date Control Measures All cans and jars must be fully intact with labels that show: Name of the product, Ingredients, Net weight, Distributor All jars must be free from cracks or chips Tamper evident seal must be intact

42. Dairy & Eggs Do Accept Dairy products processed and sealed in original packaging Shell eggs, if cleaned, grade B or better, and dated Kept refrigerated, <40°F, no later than day of expiration Do Not Accept Dairy products from unlicensed processor Unpasteurized milk or dairy products Infant formula after the use-by date Eggs that have not been cleaned, labeled and dated Control Measures Refrigerate at <40°F Repackage or sub-divide into food-grade containers

43. Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Do Accept Meat, poultry, and fish from a licensed processor that is properly labeled and dated and in the original package Kept refrigerated, <40°F, or frozen Do Not Accept Custom processed meat or poultry Sushi or other food intended for raw consumption Wild game, unless part of the ‘hunt for the hungry’ program Venison from a CWD-positive animal Control Measures Refrigerate at <40°F, or freeze Store meat on a plate or tray well away from fresh produce and ready-to-eat foods Repackaging is NOT allowed

44. Prepared Foods: Casseroles, Salads Do Accept Casseroles, salads and other prepared foods that are in food-grade packaging, and clearly labeled and dated Kept refrigerated ( 140°) Do Not Accept Food left in the Danger Zone for > 2 hours Prepared foods that have been served, put on a buffet table, or reheated Foods temperature abused or out-dated Control Measures Keep Cold Foods Cold: refrigerate at <40°F, or freeze Keep Hot Foods Hot: maintain at 140° OR cool rapidly from 140° to 70° in 2 hours and 70° to 40° in the following 4 hours

45. Transporting Foods Vehicles used to transport food must be clean and sanitary Hot and/or cold-holding equipment must be used

46. Questions? Contact your local UW-Extension Office http://dane.uwex.edu/

47. Sources UW Extension Resources – Enhance the value of your donations to food pantries, community programs http://fyi.uwex.edu/news/2010/11/11/enhance-the-value-of-your-donations-to-food- pantries-community-programs/ http://fyi.uwex.edu/news/2010/11/11/enhance-the-value-of-your-donations-to-food- pantries-community-programs/ – Dane County Nutrition Education Program http://fyi.uwex.edu/danewnep/http://fyi.uwex.edu/danewnep/ – Food Safety & Health http://foodsafety.wisc.edu/http://foodsafety.wisc.edu/ Indiana’s Emergency Food Resource Network (formerly Safe Food for the Hungry) http://www.purdue.edu/indianasefrnetwork/ http://www.purdue.edu/indianasefrnetwork/ Fight BAC campaign www.fightbac.org www.fightbac.org K State Research and Extension – Cupboard Storage Chart – www.ksre.ksu.edu/foodsafety/p.aspxwww.ksre.ksu.edu/foodsafety/p.aspx

48. Volunteers are seldom paid; not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless! -Author unknown