Food Safety

Please follow all food safety guidelines mandated by the Department of Public Health & Environment as you prepare and serve food to prevent food-borne illnesses within our community.

Practice Good Hygiene Avoid Cross Contamination Maintain Appropriate Temperatures Practice Good Hygiene

• Wash hands regularly, including:

  • before, during, and after preparing food;

  • after using the restroom;

  • after touching bare skin, trash, dirty dishes, uncooked eggs, raw meat, poultry, seafood, or their juices;

  • and after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, using tobacco, or eating.

  • Wear gloves when handling, preparing, and serving food. Keep in mind that your gloves become your second skin so keep them clean. Change gloves that rip or might be contaminated. Change gloves between working with raw and ready-to-eat foods. Throw gloves away after use. Never wash or re-use gloves.

  • Never touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands. Handle all food items with a utensil (spoon, tongs, etc) instead.

Avoid Cross Contamination

• Clean and sanitize all food preparation surfaces before, during, and after food preparation.

• Avoid cross contamination by using separate cutting boards, dishes, and utensils for produce, meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.

• Keep raw meat away from other food to prevent cross contamination.

• Wash and sanitize surfaces that come in contact with raw meat.

• Wash hands after handling raw meat.

Maintain Appropriate Temperatures

• Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 ° F and 140 ° F. To keep food out of this "Danger Zone," keep cold food cold and hot food hot. These foods include:

  • Animal products (includes eggs, dairy products)

  • Cooked starches (rice, beans, pasta, or potatoes)

  • Fruits and vegetables as follows: cooked vegetables, tofu, sprouts such as alfalfa or bean sprouts, or cut melons

  • Cold foods should be held at 40 ° F or colder. Keep items in a fridge or freezer or place food in containers on ice.

  • Hot foods should be held at 140 ° F or warmer. Keep hot food in an oven or use the Hotwell drop-ins when in the shelter kitchen.

  • Cook food to recommended temperatures. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of food. Check in several places to be sure food is cooked to a safe temperature. Recommended temperatures include:

    • 165 ° F for poultry, stuffed meat or fish, pasta, soups, stews, casseroles, and reheated foods

    • 160 ° F for ground meats and eggs that are cooked and held for service, such as scrambled

    • 145 ° F for whole beef, lamb, pork, fish, shellfish, and eggs that are broken, cooked, and served immediately

    • Potentially hazardous food can be at room temperature for up to two hours while you are preparing or transporting it. It must be thrown away if it is left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature.

    • Ready-to-eat food must be served within three days. Food must be labeled with the date prepared and the item name.

Kitchen Tour

The shelter's commercial kitchen is outfitted to meet all your needs for preparing and serving meals. A staff member can help you operate any equipment or find any items in the kitchen.

Equipment List

• 2 reach-in fridges

• 2 reach-in freezers

• 2 convection ovens (capacity of up to 10 full size (18"x26") baking sheets)

• 6-burner range with gas oven

• Flat top grill with gas oven

• 2 Hotwell drop-in food wells

• 22-quart roaster oven

• Outdoor propane flat-top grill

Equipment Guide

Item Inventory

• Aprons and Gloves

• Reusable plates, bowls, silverware, cups, and mugs for serving

• Plastic drink pitchers

• 16-liter & 6-liter plastic Cambro containers + lids

• Plastic food storage containers

• Knife set, scissors, and pizza cutters (all stored in the pantry)

• Plastic cutting boards

• Small salad/herb spinner

• Large and small metal and plastic mixing bowls (6-13 quart size)

• Home-size plastic colander & commercial-size metal colander

• Saute pans, frying pans, and woks

• 10-quart sauce pan

• 24-quart and 40- quart stock pots with lids

• 6 full sheet trays (18"x26") and 3 half-sheet/cookie trays

• Assortment of disposable rectangle aluminum pans

• Instant read thermometers

• Box grater

• Liquid & dry measuring cups & spoons

• Can & bottle openers

• Vegetable peelers

• Potato masher

• Rubber/silicone, wood, plastic, and metal spatulas

• Metal and plastic serving spoons, forks, tongs, and ladles

• Wire whisk & pastry scraper

• Cake server

• Ice cream scoop

• Grill spatula and tongs

• Aprons

• Oven mitts

• Kitchen towels