FOOD PANTRY
FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS AND DATE LABELS INFORMATION
Purpose
THE MINT Food Pantry seeks to remove the barrier to healthy food options and to eliminate food insecurity in the communities it serves. This program aligns with our mission by serving the community by nurturing while promoting self-reliance and empowerment. The food pantry does this by addressing a basic need, food security, to alleviate poverty and improve overall quality of life.
Background
As THE MINT Foundation sought to assist low-income families with quality programs for children and youth, the need to assist the overall community became apparent. Therefore, in 2010, we expanded our community outreach to include a weekly food pantry.
Hours & Eligibility
THE MINT Food Pantry is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m until 12:00 p.m and is By Appointment Only.
Our food pantry is open to all residents of Dallas County and Ellis County. You must have a valid picture identification card to register on-site and receive food. (*This is for internal records only.)
Food will be delivered to your vehicle.
*You must have a valid picture identification card to register on-site and receive food. (*This is for internal records only.)
Food Pantry Donations
The MINT Foundation and our partners in hunger relief strive to reduce food insecurities in families and children through our weekly food distributions. In order to accomplish this task, The MINT Foundation relies heavily on food donations. While we cannot control the date donations are received into our facility, The MINT adapted the Feeding America out –of – date Food Production Distribution Guidelines which provides guidance for storage time at our facility from date the donation was received. Frozen Food is distributed 3 months from the date received, pre-packaged non-perishable foods is distributed 6 months from the date received. Fresh produce is distributed 7 days from the date received, and baked goods will be distributed 3-5 days from date received.
Food Date Labels
Date labels on food are generally indicators of freshness, yet many consumers, misinterpret these labels as indicators of safety, and this confusion leads people to throw away food rather than consume it. Everyone deserves good quality, nutritious food, no matter where they get it from—a supermarket or a food pantry. However, cosmetically imperfect fruits and vegetables, or the dating on packaged food does not always signify the last date that food is safe and nutritious!
With the exception of infant formula, the federal government doesn’t actually have any laws or regulations about the expiration dating of food products. According to the USDA’s Food Product Dating Guidance, “There are no uniform or universally accepted descriptions used on food labels for open dating in the United States.” (“Open dating” is a calendar date printed on a food product by the manufacturer).
This lack of clear rules leads to the combination of different phrases found on foods at supermarkets today, from “best if used by” to “EXP.” Here’s a guide to what all of these different phrases mean:
• A "Best if Used By/Before" date indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
• A "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date.
• A “Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula as described above.
• A “Freeze-By” date indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
For more information on food storage and/or date labels, click on the following government links:
KEEP FOOD SAFE - foodsafety.gov
COLD FOOD STORAGE - foodsafety.gov
BEFORE YOU TOSS FOOD - usda.gov
CONFUSED BY DATE LABELS - fda.gov