“Why do food banks sometimes give people out of date food?” It’s a question that comes up a lot, and has even been the subject of local and national news stories.
Quality Control is a priority at the Arvada Community Food Bank. We make every effort make sure that everything we place on our shelves is edible. But many consumers – and sometimes, news reporters – lack basic, essential information regarding what the dating on cans and boxes actually means.
There are many “codes” and dating schemes used by manufacturers. Some our meant for internal store purposes. Some codes are hard to determine, but food banks can determine their meaning most of the time. The most common dating code we see is: “Use By.” It is very important to know that “Use By” is NOT an expiration date. It is a manufacturer’s guideline for when they determine a product to be at its peak taste and nutritional quality. It remains edible, depending on food type, for 1 to 5 years beyond that date. Foods high in acid deteriorate the quickest. Dry goods usually last longest, providing they remain dry. On the other hand a product coded “Use By” should be discarded.
There are several major challenges for all food banks, including ours.
Primarily, food banks are in the CARING FOR PEOPLE BUSINESS; we would never purposely put food on our shelves that would endanger our clients. We profit nothing from moving more product, other than knowing we are helping to meet someone’s unmet needs. Perhaps that is the piece of the story that people so often miss.
First and foremost, clients of food banks must be diligent, themselves, not to take any food they feel unsafe. If a client feels uncomfortable with the dates of products on food bank shelves, they should reject it, call attention to it, and ask questions. If they are still uncomfortable, they should remember that this is a free service, and they do not need to take what they don’t want.
The Arvada Community Food Bank stands 100% behind its mission and standards.
Quality Control is a priority at the Arvada Community Food Bank. We make every effort make sure that everything we place on our shelves is edible. But many consumers – and sometimes, news reporters – lack basic, essential information regarding what the dating on cans and boxes actually means.
There are many “codes” and dating schemes used by manufacturers. Some our meant for internal store purposes. Some codes are hard to determine, but food banks can determine their meaning most of the time. The most common dating code we see is: “Use By.” It is very important to know that “Use By” is NOT an expiration date. It is a manufacturer’s guideline for when they determine a product to be at its peak taste and nutritional quality. It remains edible, depending on food type, for 1 to 5 years beyond that date. Foods high in acid deteriorate the quickest. Dry goods usually last longest, providing they remain dry. On the other hand a product coded “Use By” should be discarded.
There are several major challenges for all food banks, including ours.
- First, a high percentage of donated foods come from individuals and families. They often are given through food drives where donors haven’t had time to shop. They reach into the closet and pull out something they have had for a while, but never used. And, that’s okay. It’s a source of food for those in need. Our donors are spectacular, and almost all the food we receive is usable. Our volunteers are trained for screening product for quality control. And, the amount of food available to the poor would be seriously compromised, perhaps halved, if these valuable donations were not available to us.
- Second, unlike grocery stores, most of the food we receive does not come in neat case-lots. It comes to us in assorted quantities, of mixed types and origins, in bags and boxes which we must individual inspect and sort. While we emphasize quality control, imagine sorting through 1,000,000 cans or boxes of food product and not having a few items fall through the cracks. It’s actually amazing that the percentage of truly outdated products that do make it to our shelves is as small as it is. At the Arvada Community Food Bank, the ratio of “defects” would put most businesses in the world to shame. And, we will always try harder.
Primarily, food banks are in the CARING FOR PEOPLE BUSINESS; we would never purposely put food on our shelves that would endanger our clients. We profit nothing from moving more product, other than knowing we are helping to meet someone’s unmet needs. Perhaps that is the piece of the story that people so often miss.
First and foremost, clients of food banks must be diligent, themselves, not to take any food they feel unsafe. If a client feels uncomfortable with the dates of products on food bank shelves, they should reject it, call attention to it, and ask questions. If they are still uncomfortable, they should remember that this is a free service, and they do not need to take what they don’t want.
The Arvada Community Food Bank stands 100% behind its mission and standards.
