Community kitchens and food banks

Food banks are not-for-profit organizations that accept donated food and operate with the exclusive intent of feeding the hungry. They receive, hold, package, repackage and/or distribute food that is to be prepared or consumed off the premises.

Community kitchens are also not-for-profit but, unlike food banks, they prepare food for consumption on the premises and may also have mobile operations to deliver meals to homes. They do not distribute food that is to be prepared off the premises.

Those involved in handling food at a food bank or community kitchen should have knowledge of safe food handling and hygiene practices to ensure food is safe.

Hand washing is essential for good food handling hygiene. Staff should wash their hands before starting work, after using the washroom, before and after eating or smoking and before and after handling any food.

Skin wounds on the hands and arms should be covered with a bandage and, if on the hand, disposable latex-free gloves should be worn. Wearing disposable gloves does not replace hand washing. Hand washing is still necessary before and after putting on a pair of gloves and gloves should be changed as often as hands need to be washed.

Do not handle food if you are ill and experiencing symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting or fever. Wear clean clothing.

Clean

Even though food banks do not prepare food, they may subdivide food into smaller quantities and repackage. Equipment and utensils used for this purpose should be washed, rinsed, sanitized and air-dried after each use.  Surfaces that come in contact with food should be smooth and non-absorbent. The most commonly used sanitizers are quaternary ammonium (QUAT), chlorine and, more recently, accelerated hydrogen peroxide. Use appropriate test strips to test the sanitizer strength.

Cook

It is important that food be cooked to safe temperatures and chilled within two hours. Food should be held at proper temperatures outside of the temperature danger zone (between 4°C/40°F and 60°C/140°F). Discard food that has been held in the danger zone for longer than two hours. Freezer temperature should be -18°C (0°F) or colder.

For more information on safe cooking temperatures see Safe food handling.

Separate

Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods during preparation, storage, handling, bagging and transportation.

There are several key ways staff can keep food safe when storing it: 

• always keep foods covered
• use only food-grade containers with tight-fitting lids to store dry goods and non-perishables
• use only new, food-grade materials when packaging and repackaging
• store food up off the floor to prevent contamination and facilitate cleaning
• do not store food near plumbing or any other type of pipe
• store chemicals away from food and ensure the chemical containers are clearly labeled
• store raw foods below cooked foods and raw eggs

When labeling food, be sure to include the list of ingredients, the dates from original packages and nutrition labelling requirements. Check date markings to ensure proper stock rotation. If a food item is near the end of its shelf life (i.e., expiry date or best before date) advise the client of this. Do not distribute food that has passed its expiry date.

Ensure packaging is food-grade material.

Keep a log of food donations. Verify foods are properly labelled and have been held at the proper temperature. A Receipt of Food Donations (PDF 204 KB) should be filled out for each item donated.

Before accepting perishable food donations, ensure you can keep the foods safe until distributing, preparing or serving, such as having sufficient space for proper storage, including refrigeration and hot holding. Food donations should not be accepted where there is uncertainty as to how the food was handled or stored prior to receiving.

Adequate lighting in all areas is essential, with protective light covers to prevent broken glass from falling into food. The facility should have sufficient ventilation to prevent condensation from dripping onto food items. Staff must have access to a washroom, which should include a hand wash sink available that is equipped with liquid or powdered soap in a dispenser and single-use towels for hand drying.

There should be an adequate supply of hot and cold potable running water, and wastewater must be disposed of using an approved method.

Keep garbage in leak proof, non-absorbent containers with tight-fitting covers. Garbage containers should be cleaned on a regular basis, with the outside garbage area clean and free of debris. Keep the facility free of pests.

Do not allow live animals or birds in the premises other than a trained service animal.

• How To Wash Your Hands (PDF 433 KB)
• Temperature Danger Zone (PDF 437 KB)
• Cold Food Storage Chart (PDF 292 KB)
• Sanitizers in Food Premises (PDF 345 KB)
• Cleaning Schedule Procedure Example (PDF 246 KB)