Food Bank Food Safety

Posted in Food Safety,Our Blog on December 3, 2025

With the recent Government shut down many people found themselves waiting in line at food banks when they had never had to attend them before. These events are usually put on by volunteer groups and have the best meaning at heart but I have personally heard that sometimes the produce isn’t as fresh as it could be and that things look bad. Today we look at some food bank food safety tips and how you can get the most out of the experience.

Kinda like shopping at a farmer’s market you are looking for produce that is without bruising. If you are handed bags without being able to select your own, it is important to get things home as soon as possible and get the bruised produce away from everything else. It’s important to choose fruits and vegetables that are not bruised or damaged, because these can provide an environment where bacteria multiply and thrive. Whole fruits and vegetables can be displayed without refrigeration at the food banks, but perishable produce like strawberries, lettuce, herbs and mushrooms should be refrigerated once home. Pre-cut or peeled fruits and vegetables need to be refrigerated for safety. Before consuming, all produce should be rinsed thoroughly with running water.

Separate for Safety

Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood — and from kitchen utensils used for those products.

• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water between preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafood and preparing produce that will not be cooked.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through the dishwasher after use.

Prepare Safely

When preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation.

• Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Throw away any produce that looks rotten.
• Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Produce is porous. Soap and household detergents can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables, despite thorough rinsing, and can make you sick. Also, the safety of the residues of commercial produce washes is not known and their effectiveness has not been tested.
• Washing can reduce bacteria that may be present but will not eliminate it.
• Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is still important to wash produce first so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting produce.
• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
• After washing, dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present on the surface.
• Cooking produce thoroughly kills harmful bacteria and reduces the risk of illness.

What About Pre-Washed Produce?

Many pre-cut, bagged, or packaged produce items are pre-washed and ready-to-eat. If so, it will be stated on the packaging, and you can use the produce without further washing.

If you choose to wash produce marked as “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat,” be sure that it does not come in contact with unclean surfaces or utensils. This will help to avoid cross contamination.

About Foodborne Illness

Know the Symptoms

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Although most people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems. Children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDs, cancer, and diabetes) can be especially vulnerable to foodborne illness.

If you have found yourself in a position to need to utilize food banks, know that they are great options for many families and with some close attention can provide nourishment for you and your family. Please follow Make Food Safe as we share updates on food safety daily.