PUHI — The highest risk of contaminated food comes from donated food, said Wes Perreira, warehouse supervisor at the Hawaii Foodbank-Kauai Branch. “And the highest risk from contaminated food are the children and infants,” Perreira said Tuesday. “Food safety is
PUHI — The highest risk of contaminated food comes from donated food, said Wes Perreira, warehouse supervisor at the Hawaii Foodbank-Kauai Branch.
“And the highest risk from contaminated food are the children and infants,” Perreira said Tuesday. “Food safety is important to us.”
Food and health safety was the focus of the American Institute of Baking International audit in which the Hawaii Foodbank-Kauai Branch received high scores.
“This is a strict food safety distributing and quality service audit that Feeding America partners must pass in order to be accredited with the federal program,” said Faith Harding. “Hawaii Foodbank-Kauai Branch is the only food bank on Kauai that is a certified member of Feeding America. If audit criteria are not met, membership in Feeding America is in jeopardy.”
Harding said the passing of the audit was due to the efforts of Michelle Panoke, Hawaii Foodbank-Kauai Branch office manager, and Perreira.
“With so much at risk, our volunteers and staff are trained to meet the criteria by personnel from the state’s Department of Health,” Perreira said. “This is the second year we have distributed more than a million pounds of food, and we need to keep our standards high and be in compliance with the Feeding America program.”
In the fiscal year that ended in June, Perreira said the Kauai Branch distributed 1.2 million pounds of food, an increase from last year when it distributed 1.01 million pounds of food.
“We’re working hard,” Perreira said. “We have just 3.5 employees and service 30 agencies around the island to do the distribution.”
Food comes from several collection programs, including the Check out Hunger program at Safeway stores in Lihue and Kapaa as well as all of the Times Supermarkets and Big Save stores. Since starting in 1993, the Check Out Hunger campaign has raised more than $2 million.
“We have an awareness of the issues like cost of living being high, and others leading to people needing help,” Perreira said. “Food banks fill the void of some of these issues, especially for the elders.”
Perreira praised volunteers of Hawaii Foodbank-Kauai Branch.
“It never ceases to amaze me,” Perreira said. “And they do it all for free.”
