Comments on: What To Do With All That Food http://thesocialage.com/blog/2008/03/18/what-to-do-with-all-that-food/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:03:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Susanne Goldstein http://thesocialage.com/blog/2008/03/18/what-to-do-with-all-that-food/#comment-4334 Susanne Goldstein Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:19:22 +0000 http://thesocialage.com/blog/2008/03/18/what-to-do-with-all-that-food/#comment-4334 Erika- Your point is well taken, and for sure, not all food should be donated to all places. Your point about vulnerable populations is an important one. Clearly there need to be standards, and the document I linked to from the EPA sets some of those forth. But certainly we can do more than throw food away. There HAS to be a better solution. Thanks for your comment Susanne Erika-
Your point is well taken, and for sure, not all food should be donated to all places. Your point about vulnerable populations is an important one. Clearly there need to be standards, and the document I linked to from the EPA sets some of those forth. But certainly we can do more than throw food away. There HAS to be a better solution.

Thanks for your comment

Susanne

]]> By: Erika Dankovits http://thesocialage.com/blog/2008/03/18/what-to-do-with-all-that-food/#comment-4333 Erika Dankovits Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:13:51 +0000 http://thesocialage.com/blog/2008/03/18/what-to-do-with-all-that-food/#comment-4333 I work for a non-profit assisted living facility, and people regularly bring us leftovers from parties or seminars or what have you. Because we are governed by the board of health and because we're feeding a frail, vulnerable population, we are under strict rules and regulations about the food we serve to our residents. To give you an example: at every meal, every item on the menu is checked for appropriate temperature three times. A little much, maybe, but think about the population we're feeding. There is a tremendous amount of food wasted in our society, and I agree that we should do something about it. But consider the very populations who might benefit from donations of food. They may be frail or vulnerable, they may have weakened immune systems, and they may lack health insurance---which would lead to even greater problems should they become sick from meats and cheeses that have not been appropriately refrigerated. Then what? A good-faith, good-Samaritan act, and the intended beneficiary becomes sick and may not be able to receive treatment. Remember canned food drives? There's a reason why they were canned food drives and not perishable food drives. :) I hate to sound like a killjoy at a valiant effort to care for others, but passing along leftovers may not be the best way to deal with the problem of wasted food. I work for a non-profit assisted living facility, and people regularly bring us leftovers from parties or seminars or what have you. Because we are governed by the board of health and because we’re feeding a frail, vulnerable population, we are under strict rules and regulations about the food we serve to our residents. To give you an example: at every meal, every item on the menu is checked for appropriate temperature three times. A little much, maybe, but think about the population we’re feeding.

There is a tremendous amount of food wasted in our society, and I agree that we should do something about it. But consider the very populations who might benefit from donations of food. They may be frail or vulnerable, they may have weakened immune systems, and they may lack health insurance—which would lead to even greater problems should they become sick from meats and cheeses that have not been appropriately refrigerated. Then what? A good-faith, good-Samaritan act, and the intended beneficiary becomes sick and may not be able to receive treatment.

Remember canned food drives? There’s a reason why they were canned food drives and not perishable food drives. :)

I hate to sound like a killjoy at a valiant effort to care for others, but passing along leftovers may not be the best way to deal with the problem of wasted food.

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