Example_D_Food_Donation_Guide.pdf

General questions about donation

Washington County Solid Waste & Recycling Program www.WashingtonCountyRecycles.com/FoodDonation recycle@co.washington.or.us | 503-846-3605

Food safety questions

Washington County Environmental Health www.co.washington.or.us/HHS/EnvironmentalHealth environmentalhealth@co.washington.or.us | 503-846-8722

Find a donation recipient

Fork It Over!

www.ForkItOver.org info@forkitover.org | 503-725-8447

More donation resources

Food Donation Connection (FDC) www.FoodToDonate.com contactus@foodtodonate.com | 800-831-8161 Contact FDC if you have large quantities of food to donate on a regular basis and would like assistance coordinating a program.

Oregon Food Bank West (OFB) www.OregonFoodBank.org 503-439-6510 Contact OFB if you have donations of prepackaged food, uncooked produce, canned food or other items.

This publication is produced by the Washington County Department of Health and Human Services, Solid Waste & Recycling Program in cooperation with the cities of Banks, Cornelius, Durham, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, King City, North Plains, Sherwood, Tigard and Tualatin.

More resources

Food Donation Guide www.WashingtonCountyRecycles.com 503-846-3605

Reduce Reuse Recycle

Making food donation easy for restaurants and other food businesses

Letter from the Chair Thank you for donating surplus food

Dear business leader, Thank you for donating your edible surplus food to people in need. You are an important part of how we all protect the long-term health and livability of Washington County.

When you donate food, you help Washington County families put food on their plates, protect the environment and show that your business cares about our community. We are grateful for your leadership to help fi ght hunger and develop a more sustainable community for future generations. Thank you for everything you do to support this critical effort.

Please get in touch with our Solid Waste & Recycling Program if you have any questions about food donation by calling 503-846-3605.

Sincerely, Andy Duyck, Chairman Washington County Board of Commissioners

Donations in action

By providing surplus food to people in need, a local feeding program helps reduce hunger and protect the environment.

Famous Dave’s

Famous Dave’s in Tualatin has a highly successful food donation program.

Each week, the barbecue restaurant sends about 50 quarts of side dishes and salads, as well as 17 dozen muffi ns, to Meals on Wheels People programs in Tualatin and Sherwood.

General Manager Janet Jones says, “We are so pleased to be a part of this program. The food that is outside of our company spec is still perfectly good and we care about what happens to it. We want to feed people in need with our high quality product. This participation has been extremely rewarding for my entire staff.”

Dalton’s Northwest Catering

Dalton’s Northwest Catering has been in the restaurant and catering business in Washington County since 1974.

Dalton’s donates weekly to Good Neighbor Center in Tigard and Transitional Youth in Portland, which serves a hot meal to 60-70 homeless youth every Monday. Owner Dave Dalton says, “We do not throw out food products and always donate these items to good local causes. We donate our surplus foods directly following our events to ensure that the items are good quality and safe to consume. We have come to value this program and understand the need for these donations in our community.”

Success stories

Success stories

Thanks to Manaia Coffee House and Island Grill, Cheesecake Factory, Salvation Army Tualatin Valley Citadel, Good Neighbor Center, Famous Dave’s Tualatin and the other organizations and individuals who contributed to this guide.

Testimonials from local leaders who donate food as part of their business

Manaia Coffee House and Island Grill opened its doors in 2014 in downtown Hillsboro. They donate surplus pastries and grilled chicken to the Salvation Army Tualatin Valley Citadel. Manaia’s owner Danny Hart says, “Someone from the Salvation Army comes every Friday and we are so happy to see them and give them the food that we have been saving all week. We noticed that we were throwing away food and wanted to be able to get it to people who can use it.”

Manaia Coffee House and Island Grill

Reasons to donate ....................………………

Liability .………………………...............….……

Food safety …………..............…………………

What to donate

How to get started………………………………

Donation process……………………………

Tax benefi ts……………………..……

Tools to help you……………………….…….…

Success stories……………………..…………

More resources………………………...…….…

Table of contents

It’s good for your business and for the community

It’s safe and easy.

There are laws that protect your business from liability, and Washington County provides free support to make donating simple.

You can save money.

By keeping edible food out of the garbage, you may be able to reduce your garbage collection costs. Plus, your business may be eligible for a tax deduction when donating food.

You can feed hungry people.

One in eight Washington County residents lacks access to enough nutritious food to keep them healthy, according to Feeding America. Your donations help nourish people in the community who are in need.

Reasons to donate Tools and resources that make donating easy

The Solid Waste & Recycling Program offers the following tools at no cost:

Food storage supplies

• Labels (pictured right)

• Clear plastic bags and twist ties

• Half-size aluminum pans with lids (pack of 30)

• 4-quart plastic Cambro buckets with lids

• “We Donate Food” thermal bag (pictured right)

Signs

• What can and cannot be donated poster

• Donation process poster

• “We Donate Food” window cling (pictured right)

Tracking tools

• Temperature chart

• Donation tracking log

• Scale (pictured right)

Please contact the Washington County Solid Waste & Recycling Program at recycle@co.washington.or.us or 503-846-3605 to request any of these tools.

Tools to help you

There are fi nancial benefi ts when your business donates food.

There are many benefi ts when your business donates food to people in need, including enhanced tax deductions.

Under Internal Revenue Code 170(e)(3), business taxpayers may deduct some of the cost to produce the food and part of the lost profi t. Talk to your tax accountant for more detailed information.

Tax benefi ts

Example of tax benefi ts from donating a pizza

Adapted from the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic

A pizza restaurant donates a pizza that could be sold for $20.

It cost the restaurant $6 in labor and ingredients to make the pizza (basis value). The restaurant expected to make $14 on the sale (expected profi t margin).

Under the enhanced deduction, the restaurant can deduct the smaller of the following options:

BASIS VALUE x 2 = $6 x 2 = $12 or

BASIS VALUE + (EXPECTED PROFIT MARGIN / 2)

= $6 + ($14 / 2) = $13

So, the restaurant may deduct $12 per donated pizza.

Visit www.chlpi.org/food-law-and-policy to learn more, or ask your company’s accountant.

You can protect the environment.

Forty percent of food grown in the U.S. gets wasted, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Your donations help ensure that the valuable resources that go into producing food — like water, energy and land — are put to good use and not wasted.

Plus, by keeping food out of landfi lls, the greenhouse gas emissions that come from decomposing food are avoided.

Your customers and employees appreciate it.

Your customers, employees and donation recipients want to see good food donated and eaten instead of tossed out.

You can be part of the solution.

Join peers like Famous Dave’s Tualatin, Papa Murphy’s in Hillsboro and Dalton’s Northwest Catering in donating food to support families in our community and to protect our planet.

Good Samaritan laws protect your business when you donate good food.

Federal and state laws protect you when you donate food in good faith to feed people in need. The federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act and Oregon laws (ORS Chapter 30.890 and 30.892) state that you cannot be held liable if you donate food that you believe to be safe and edible. This applies even if the food may not be easily sold due to appearance, age, freshness, grade, size or other condition.

These laws protect you and your business except in cases of gross negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct. Donated food still must meet all federal, state and local quality and labeling standards. See the next section on food safety to learn more.

Liability

Donations in action

The Cheesecake Factory donates surplus soup to Good Neighbor Center in Tigard.

6. Donate your surplus food!

Contact your partner food rescue organization or wait for them to contact you. Give your surplus product to the food rescue organization, and remember to collect a receipt if you are pursuing tax benefi ts for your tax-deductible donations.

4. Record the donation (optional).

If you are tracking your donations, weigh or estimate the volume of product and record it.

5. Store food properly.

Until it is picked up by the food rescue organization, safely freeze or refrigerate the food and store it separately from other food to be sold.

Donations in action

Muchas Gracias in Tanasbourne donates surplus meat, rice and beans to a local youth shelter.

Once you have set up your program and connected with a recipient organization, it’s time to start donating.

Train your employees to follow standard procedures that ensure all surplus food is properly handled and stored. Follow these six simple steps:

Donation process

1. Identify food to donate.

Create a list for your employees to consult. Include items that are often left over and eligible for donation. See page 9 for a list of items that can be donated.

2. Safely package food.

Follow safe food handling procedures and package food in sealed containers, such as clear plastic bags with twist ties or shallow covered pans.

3. Label the food to be donated.

Label the food to be donated with the food name, date it was prepared, and either the date it was frozen or the use-by date.

Food safety is an important part of being protected from liability and putting your donations to good use.

The following information covers the basics of what you need to know about donating food safely and has been approved by Washington County Environmental Health.

Temperature control

Hot food is required to be cooled properly before placing it in food-safe containers or bags. The risk of food spoilage, microbial growth and foodborne illness increases when food is held in the temperature danger zone between 41 degrees Fahrenheit and 135 F for four hours or longer.

Food must be cooled down from 135 F to 70 F within two hours, and then from 70 F to 41 F within an additional four hours. If food is not at 41 F or below at the end of the six-hour period, it must be thrown out. See page 10 for what to do with food that cannot be donated.

Food safety

135º F 57º C

70º F 21º C

41º F 5º C

135º F 57º C

41º F 5º C

Temperature danger zone Proper cooling procedure

Date marking

Food that is potentially hazardous, as defi ned by the Oregon Health Authority Food Sanitation Rules*, is required to be marked with the date it is prepared. These foods can be held for seven days (the day the food is prepared + six days = seven days).

Label the food with the number of days left in the seven day holding time. Such food that has reached its seventh day must be thrown out. See the next section for what to do with food that cannot be donated.

It is recommended that all food be frozen prior to donating.

Freezing stops the clock on the day it was frozen. Once thawed for use, products resume at the point they were in the seven day holding time.

* Potentially hazardous foods include those that support the rapid and extensive growth of germs, such as meat, chicken, milk, pork, fi sh, tofu and eggs. Other foods that are potentially hazardous include alfalfa sprouts, cut leafy greens like lettuce, cut tomatoes and garlic in oil mixtures.

Food safety continued

4. Train your employees.

Ensure your employees are properly trained to identify, label and store food for donation. See the next section for suggested preparation procedures.

5. Be recognized.

There are many opportunities to be recognized for donating surplus food to those in need.

• Put up a window cling for customers to see.

Washington County provides these.

• Apply for a Green Business Award.

Apply online at:

www.WashingtonCountyRecycles.com.

• Be featured in the County’s e-newsletter or website.

Email recycle@co.washington.or.us to be featured.

• Get Food Recovery Certifi ed.

Learn more: www.FoodRecoveryCertifi ed.org.

• Tell your customers.

Spread the word in your own newsletter, in-store displays or on your menu.

Steps to begin donating surplus food to people in need

1. Identify potential donations.

Monitor the types and amount of surplus food generated on a regular basis.

2. Find a recipient.

Connect with a food rescue agency that can use your surplus food.

Go to www.ForkItOver.org or contact the Washington County Solid Waste & Recycling Program for help connecting with an organization.

3. Set a donation schedule.

Working with the food rescue organization, determine when and how often your surplus food will be donated. Most organizations will pick up food from your location, and some are open to an “on-call” arrangement. Washington County staff can also help you fi gure out the best schedule.

How to get started

Labeling for donation

Restaurants must label the food-safe donation containers with the food name, date it was prepared, and date it was frozen (or, if not frozen, the use-by date).

It is recommended that while waiting for pick-up, food is stored in a designated area of a freezer, refrigerator or pantry based on type of food and away from other food to be sold.

Logs and procedures

Logs and procedures are an important part of everyday operations in a food service facility. We encourage food service facilities to document that food is being handled and served properly. There are laws that protect you from liability when donating food in good faith. See the previous section on liability to learn more.

Before providing food to a food rescue organization, take the temperature of the food and record it on a food donation temperature log — see “Tools to help you” section. The temperature must be 41 F or below. Organizations that receive donations from your facility should have the equipment necessary to maintain proper food temperatures.

For food safety questions, please contact Washington County Environmental Health at 503-846-8722.

Please note: This information is subject to law and code changes.

How to identify food items that can be donated

What can be donated

If all food safety standards are met and foods are properly handled and stored, these types of foods can be donated:

• Baked goods

• Bulk foods

• Frozen foods

• Fruits and vegetables

• Meat and dairy products

• Packaged foods that have not been opened

• Prepared items that have not been served

• Items past the manufacturer-labeled date, such as “sell by” or “best by” — according to USDA, these can still be safe to eat, as the label ensures peak quality, not safety

What to donate

What cannot be donated

These are foods that cannot be donated:

• Any food that has been in the temperature danger zone between 41 degrees Fahrenheit and 135 F for any time except the six-hour cooling period (may include foods such as pizza or foods from salad bars and buffets that have been using time as a control for safety, or the “time rule”)

• Food that has been in the temperature danger zone for four hours or more

• Food that has been served to customers

• Foods that were improperly cooled

• Prepared food past the seven-day date mark — the day the food is prepared + six days = seven days

What to do with food that can’t be donated

Even if food isn’t suitable to be eaten by people, it can be collected separately from your garbage and used to create energy and compost.

For more information about food scraps collection for your business, call 503-846-3605 or visit www.WashingtonCountyRecycles.com/FoodDonation.