The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and our network of partner agencies provide an essential service to people in need of food assistance. While it is important to feed people, it is equally important to ensure that the food being distributed throughout our network is safe and suitable for distribution and consumption. By following some basic food safety precautions while storing, preparing and serving food, we can ensure that the men, women and children we serve will be well fed and protected at the same time.
The Foodbank requires at least one representative from each of our partner agency accounts participate in a basic food safety training course. The representative from the partner agency should be one of the key food program managers or coordinators. Documentation on their food safety training will be kept on file. If that representative leaves the agency, a new representative will be required to complete food safety training.
The basic food safety training course will cover five key areas:
- Basic food safety
- Personal hygiene
- Cross-contamination and allergens
- Controlling time & temperature
- Cleaning and sanitation
The food safety training also includes an assessment measure to ensure that all attendees understand the basics of food safety. Any participant passing the assessment will be issued a certificate of completion.
New partner agencies will be required to complete this training during their initial orientation.