Food Safety

The America ’s Second Harvest Network, is extremely concerned about food safety and safe food handling.

Millions of people in need who rely on assistance from our national network may face serious health issues or have weakened immune systems. 

We cannot afford for a single individual in need to become sick from poor food handling or inadequate food safety.  Therefore, we carefully steward product donations given to our national network. 

Food banks and food-rescue organizations in our national network adhere to the same guidelines that grocery retailers, food manufacturers and restaurants must follow:

• The Current Good Manufacturing Practices for the Manufacturing, Processing, and Packaging, or Handling Human Food developed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Model Salvage Code developed by FDA and the Association of Food and Drug Officials
• Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
• Fair Packaging and Labeling Act
  

And, many individuals at our member locations are:  

• ServSafecertified
• Registered dieticians
• Nutritionists

Food and grocery products that are donated to America ’s Second Harvest are carefully handled and tracked throughout the distribution process, so that product retrieval is possible in the event of a recall or suspicion of re-entry.

To learn more about donating and food safety, contact America’s Second Harvest at info@secondharvest.org