FFA Meat Dating

Ever wondered what that date on your Fare For All meat products is? Our licensed, registered dietitian explains it all here:

Last time I was at the grocery store, fresh chicken breasts were on sale for a steal. I decided it would be great to stock up and popped them in the freezer when I got home for future use. I know lots of friends and family who do the same thing in order to have quality groceries at a good price. This is similar to how Fare For All operates with their frozen meat products. Fare For All gets quality frozen meats from reputable companies. These meats are frozen before their use by date to ensure freshness and food safety. At that point, meat is transported to the Fare For All warehouse via a frozen trailer and placed in freezers. The cold chain is always kept intact to ensure that the quality meats you buy are food safe. So you may see Use By dates that are past but you can rest assured that they have been frozen prior to that date. Fare For All is committed to providing quality produce and meats at a good price.

If you ever have questions about any of our dating, don’t hesitate to contact Katie Wahl, our licensed, registered dietitian at kwahl@emergencyfoodshelf.org

Summer food safety

Summertime is prime time for food bourne illnesses. Check out these food safety tips from HealthPartners Clinics:

"Hamburgers, potato salad, and other tasty summer treats can become breeding grounds for bacteria when left in the heat and humidity. Follow these tips to prevent illnesses:

1. Toss out food that has been sitting out longer than two hours.

2. Avoid eating hot food that has become cold, or cold food that has become warm.

3. Separate raw and cooked foods and cook everything thoroughly.

4. Wash your hands often or bring moist wipes if water is not available."

Plums a plenty!

We have plums in the Produce Packs this month! Here’s a delicious Plum Sorbet recipe to dazzle your next dinner guests:

1 cup plums, pitted and chopped

2 cups fresh orange juice

6 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp orange zest

Combine plums, orange juice, sugar, and orange peel in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture into a freezer dish, and freeze for for about 4 hours.

30 minutes before serving puree the sorbet once more in the blender for a few seconds.

Keep in freezer until ready to serve.

Recipe from www.cooksunited.co.uk

Kids Eat Free!

When summer comes and the kids are out of school, it can place an extra financial burden on families when it comes to their food budget. While shopping at Fare For All helps to stretch dollars, there is also a new program where kids who normally eat free or reduced price schools lunches can eat lunch for free while they are out of school.

"To fill the nutritional gap facing children during the summer months, Second Harvest Heartland has teamed up with the Minnesota Vikings and Target to work with the Minnesota Department of Education to help facilitate the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in Minnesota and help bring more meals to more kids this summer."

Go to www.2harvest.org/summermeals to find your nearest location.