Food Rescue Initiative
40 percent of our food supply is wasted, yet 1 in 6 people are food insecure in America.1
Did you know?
The food that is wasted each year is
worth $165 billion and has the
opportunity to feed 36.5 million people
three meals a day for one year.2
Do you have leftovers?
Rather than throwing food away,
consider donating the food to a local
organization near you such as a food
shelter or soup kitchen. Food waste in
landfills adds up to 67.58 billion
pounds2, causing damage to the
environment due to the production of
methane gas.1
What food can be rescued?
Nonperishable and unspoiled food can
be donated to the shelves of food
pantries, shelters, or soup kitchens.
Food that must maintain a certain
temperature can be donated via coolers
with proper refrigeration and handling
to ensure food safety.
Is it safe to donate, transport,
and/or receive rescued food?
Yes. The Bill Emerson Good
Samaritan Act passed into law by
Congress in 1997 states that donors
are protected from both civil and
criminal liability when donating food
in good faith to a non-profit
organization even if the donated food
later causes harm to a recipient. This
law was created to encourage the
donation of food and grocery
products.
Benefits of Food Rescue
• Provides food to those who are
in need
• Reduces food waste
• Protects the environment
• Tax deductions
• Liability protection through the
Bill Emerson Good Samaritan
Food-Donation Act3
Food Safety Guidelines4
1. The meal you are catering has
ended and there is leftover food.
Rather than wasting these items, you
decide to donate them to a local food
shelter.
2. Food must then be cooled from
135°F to 70°F within two hours.
After, it must be cooled from 70°F to
41°F in the next four hours.
*Speed up the cooling process by
cutting large food items into smaller
pieces or dividing large containers of
food into smaller containers.
3. Once food has been cooled to the
proper temperatures, you are ready
to transport. Safely store food items
in sealed containers to avoid losing
anything along the way. Label foods
with their common name and
include the preparation date.
4. Next, it is important that food
remains under refrigeration to avoid
bacterial growth. Food should be
kept in a cooler and held at 41°F or
lower throughout transportation.
Check that equipment is fully
functioning and record food
temperatures before leaving.
Resources:
1. http://www.foodrescue.net
2. https://foodrescue.us
3. https://www.usda.gov
4. Servsafe Manager – 6th edition
5. Try to limit the amount of time
food sits in the car during
transportation and upon arrival at the
donation site.
6. When reheating foods for
immediate service, hot-held foods
must be heated until the internal
temperature reaches 165°F for 15
seconds.3 Food must be reheated to
the proper temperature within two
hours.
7. Cold foods can be held without
temperature control if the following
conditions are met: Food must be held
at 41°F or lower before removing from
refrigeration. The food should then be
labeled with the time it was removed
and discarded exactly six hours after.
Food also cannot be higher than 70°F
at any time during service.
8. Hot foods can be held without
temperature control if the following
conditions are met: Food must be held
at 135°F or higher before removing it
from temperature control. The food
she be labeled with the time it was
removed and discarded exactly four
hours after.