Category: Blog

By Tom Comiskey, Regional President, M&T Bank

M&T Bank believes deeply in supporting the communities where we operate, and we are committed to the people and organizations that work to improve our communities.

That is why we’re thrilled to be a corporate sponsor of Table to Table and support the good works they do to help feed needy families in the Northern New Jersey area. In 2014, over 1 million New Jersey residents were living in food insecure households, and Table to Table has done a tremendous job decreasing that number by partnering with local grocery stores and purveyors to make fresh, nutritious foods available to those in need.

Theirs is a noble pursuit, and we’re proud to continue our support, which is part of a wider commitment M&T Bank has made to New Jersey. We support a range of nonprofit charitable organizations, recently awarding $615,000 to 45 deserving organizations here in the Garden State. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Table to Table and helping them extend their presence in New Jersey.

Packing a Healthy School Lunch

That’s right boys and girls, another school year is about to begin here in Northern New Jersey. You’ve received the school supplies list, shopped for the first day of school outfit and squeezed in that last bit of summer vacation at the shore. Or, for those of us raising athletes, you’ve begun the carpooling to practice merry-go-round. All systems seem a go for the start of the new year.

But, and we spend a lot of time thinking about this, what about the food? That daily “what to pack for lunch” grind starts too. How can you keep it fresh, nutritious, interesting and all in a brown paper bag or insulated lunch box?

Onsite cafeterias make lunch available but, school lunch requirements aren’t what they should be and, if your kid is like ours, they’re buying the chocolate cake and that’s it. Or maybe some tater tots. But education and sports and keeping a growing mind and body going for 9 to 10 hours requires more. How can we help our kids get what they need nutritionally and keep ourselves sane? There are some tips out there to help us begin to answer this age old question.

What a Brain Needs to Develop

Set your kids up for success by packing lunches that are going to support brain development. Nutrition is important during this critical developmental stage and it affects cognitive function and growth. Aim to get a variety of the following basics into your kids and they’ll thank you when they’re in their 30s:

Choline: This nutrient helps to support memory stem cells deep in the brain and impacts how the brain communicates with the body. It can be found in easy to pack foods like yogurt, lean beef, broccoli, cauliflower and tofu.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These healthy fats are important for brain and eye development and are a mood stabilizer. Again, yogurt is a good source along with nuts and seeds (see school policy on packing these or save them for an after school snack). Eggs, which also have choline, along with tuna, salmon, shrimp and scallops are excellent sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

Complex Carbohydrates: Carbs have been vilified recently but, for developing children, complex carbs provide fuel for the brain and differ from simple carbs that are essentially sugar. Complex carbohydrates release into the brain and body slowly, providing a steady boost of fuel. This is where whole grain breads and crackers come into use – along with brown rice – another good source.

Greens: Leafy greens, specifically. Greens have high levels of folate, a form of Vitamin B, and other vitamins that are important for memory and eye development. Kale, lettuce and spinach are tops in this category along with broccoli and beans. Folate is added to a number of other foods like breads and cereal.

Vitamin D: So hard to get and its importance has only started to surface. Vitamin D is necessary for brain and body development but also to alleviate depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is essential for bone health and the prevention of osteoporosis and rickets, and is vital in treating conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, asthma, bronchitis, skin conditions and a number of auto-immune diseases. Not found naturally in very many foods, it is added to milk and cereals. Sunlight is the best way to get Vitamin D, which then regulates other minerals in the body. Some foods that contain Vitamin D are eggs (particularly the yolk), mushrooms, dense fish like tuna, and sardines. Supplements may be necessary along with regular testing for appropriate levels.

Water: Simple, right? Kids need water to stay hydrated.  Without it they become listless, forgetful and unfocused. Many children are unknowingly suffering from dehydration and that can lead to false hunger and poor food choices. That goes for us adults too.

Getting the Kids Onboard

The number one way to get your children on board with what’s for lunch is to get them involved. By taking them with you to the supermarket, having them help pack their lunch box, and letting them choose the fruits, vegetables and other snacks that acknowledge their likes and dislikes, you will foster variety in their diets while helping to boost their nutrition and add sophistication to their palates.

Have your child bring home what they don’t eat for a week so you can see what they like and don’t like. A surefire way to ultimately eliminate food waste, make sure they’re not going hungry, and monitor that they are getting the nutrition they need.

Make it easy and interesting. Use portion size containers, different shapes for fruits or sandwiches. Make food easy to handle and free of extra effort like peeling.

Sharing Nutritional Information

One of the best ways kids learn to eat well is by modelling their parents.  Speak with your children about the benefits of the foods they’re eating. Table to Table has begun this conversation in the Ironbound section of Newark. Our very generous donors provide us with a wide array of fruits, vegetables and herbs, some of which our recipients may never have come in contact with. But when parents bring this produce home and incorporate it into their daily meals, kids learn what different foods can do for them and how routine it can become to incorporate a variety of healthy and appealing choices into their diet. Working with dieticians at the Mobile Market, recipes, meal ideas, and nutrition tips are all shared on a regular basis. With access to fresh food and a little education on its benefits and preparation, the future of food insecure families can be much smarter, brighter, and healthier. Happy School Year, everyone!

It’s getting harder to for a lot of people to move and get going in the morning. Parts we’ve forgotten about are stiff and achy.  America is aging in big numbers and the impact is huge. Baby Boomers are in the thick of hitting retirement age with a projected 50% increase of 60 year olds by 2025. That’s a lot of achy joints.

But physical problems are not the only ones seniors are facing. Many are finding themselves food insecure, regardless of whether they live on their own or in a household with other non-seniors. In the US in 2014, 3 million (9%) households with seniors age 65 and older experienced food insecurity and 1.2 million (9%) households composed of seniors living alone experienced food insecurity. New Jersey’s rate for senior food insecurity is 8.4% of the total population; 7.8% live at poverty levels (2014).

Seniors are at-risk, resulting from fixed incomes and challenges that range from a lack of transportation options, mobility problems and other medical issues. As they age, it becomes more likely that on a regular basis, seniors will have to choose between medication and food. Seniors show higher rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, heart attack and asthma. And poor nutrition can be a causative factor for all of these.

Fortunately, there’s the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which began in 1968 initially to improve the health of low-income women and their infants and children.  It provides supplemental food, information about good nutrition, and a link to health care. Since 1982, the program’s focus expanded to include low-income elderly citizens. CSFP is part of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)/U.S. Department of Agriculture. They distribute food and funds to states rather than food vouchers that programs like WIC provide directly to participants. Since those who are eligible cannot participate in both the CSFP and the WIC at the same time, the CSFP has largely become an agency providing for the low-income senior community, aiming to improve health and nutrition.

For seniors living in participating states, food packages are provided for those meeting eligibility requirements. Currently, 39 states including NJ, the District of Columbia and two Native American Reservations offer CSFP benefits. Participants must reside in the state to benefit from the program and meet the established income limits for this population, which is to be at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Funding in 2012 in NJ was $209,368 and 2,931 low-income elderly residents were served.

A variety of foods are provided to help to create a balanced diet, however, it is not intended to be a complete diet. Packages supplied by the New Jersey agency include foods such as nonfat dry and ultra-high temperature fluid milk, juice, farina, oats, ready-to-eat cereal, rice, pasta, peanut butter, dry beans, canned meat, poultry or fish, and canned fruits and vegetables. USDA maintains a List of Foods Available for CSFP.

Table to Table helps bridge the nutritional gap in the diets of a large group of low-income seniors through regular deliveries to our recipient agencies. How can you help senior residents of NJ eat a healthier diet and reduce having to choose between medication and food, fight obesity, and improve their health? Spread the word about programs like CSFP, check on senior neighbors, relatives and friends – you be shocked by who is in need – and support organizations like Table to Table. With the increasing number of Baby Boomers retiring, we are obligated to supply more nutritious, fresh food to our agencies that care for senior community members.  According to our Director of Recipient Relations, Julie Kinner, “90% of our agencies serve seniors in one way or another. With the aid of this generous community, we will always be there to help feed them.”

Do. Not. Throw. That. Away. That milk, meat, egg, pasta, leftover is probably still safe to eat…really. That date on your food container has nothing to do with food safety. You will not expire if your expiration date has passed. Comforting, right?

The fact is, there is no standard or regulation to food labeling. Back in January we posted a blog on the meaning of food labeling dates, where we explained the current labeling system that is generally geared toward letting the retailer know when to remove items from shelves. Forward thinking food retailers work with food rescue organizations like Table to Table to bring this perfectly good food to families and communities that do not have access to healthy, nutritious ingredients. Communities in large cities that are food deserts, like Newark and Paterson, find it difficult to get access to food. According to the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Working Group, a food desert is a low-income census tract where a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store. Food rescue helps to mitigate the need with the help of retail partners.

Despite the Good Samaritan Law’s protections and some individual state laws regarding donating food passed the package dates, the confusion around date labeling hinders both the consumer, retailers, manufacturers, restaurants and other would-be donors from succinctly managing their food costs and food waste. But it appears help is on the way.

The current administration set a 2030 goal for the US to reduce food waste by 50%, a new bill proposed in May by Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, who introduced The Food Labeling Act, along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, proposes a more uniform labeling system to help confront the issue of consumer confusion and will help consumers have a better understanding of the safety of their food.

“Contrary to popular belief, expiration date labels often don’t indicate whether food is still safe to eat. As a result, we are tossing massive amounts of perfectly good food in the trash,” says Dana Gunders, author of the Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook and Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “This bill will help clarify the true meaning of the dates on food labels… so we can keep more on our plates and out of the landfill.”

This new system, which would be regulated on a national level, would have just two labels; one that indicates when food is at its highest quality, and another that indicates when the food is no longer safe to eat. So simple! The bill would also require the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to compile a list of products that should have expiration dates, including deli meats, unpasteurized cheeses and prepared foods that could become unsafe if kept too long. The act would also prohibit states from preventing stores or manufacturers from donating products for which the quality period has passed. This puts more food in the hands of those in need by allowing food rescue organizations access to more food. Table to Table delivers food to our agencies the same day it’s picked up giving our recipient agencies ample time to prepare and serve it.

The bill is simple in structure but acts on a number of areas in the food supply chain. It is supported by large food companies like General Mills and Campbell’s, top chefs like Tom Colicchio (2001 Table to Table honoree) along with many others, nonprofit organizations, retailers, and legislators. It’s an impressive collaboration. If passed, companies would have two years to comply with the new standards.

Reducing food waste and giving nonprofit organizations, like Table to Table, access to more of the perfectly good food that is thrown away daily will go a long way to reducing food insecurity. As benefits for programs like welfare and SNAP are cut, under-served communities will need our help more and more. Feeding neighbors is essential to health and well-being and our future, and this small change in food labeling, will have far-reaching impact. We look forward to working with our partners to bring more good food to the communities and families we serve.

When we hear celebrity chef and food waste in the same sentence around here, we think Spring Events and Dinners of Distinction. To that point, Chef Douglas Rodriguez was the honoree at our Viva Latino! on May 24^th – so we were all ears on May 25th when we started hearing about celebrity chefs making the rounds of Washington, DC lawmakers to discuss Food Waste. Chefs, along with large food companies, academics, food producers and nonprofits, met with 22 members of Congress and attended the first ever full hearing of the House Agriculture Committee. Each communicated the same message: we need to address the $200 billion food waste issue in the US and we need to start immediately.

The award-winning chefs and food waste advocates joining FPA-EF (Food Policy Action – Education Fund) co-founder, Tom Colicchio, were: Chefs Victor Albisu, Mourad Lahlou, Spike Mendelson, José Andres, Amy Brandwein, Patrick Mulvaney, Steven Satterfield, and Kevin Sbraga; along with COPIA CEO Komal Ahmad, NRDC Senior Advocate JoAnne Berkenkamp, Wasted Food author Jonathan Bloom, NRDC Scientist and Waste Free Kitchen author Dana Gunders, MissionPoint Capital Partners Managing Director Adam Rein, FPA-EF Executive Director Claire Benjamin DiMattina, and Jesse Fink of the Fink Foundation. They presented Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) with a 4000 signature petition asking Congress to enact smart food waste reduction policies. Rep. Pingree is the co-sponsor of a bill to standardize food labeling and hosted a dinner that evening with, of course, food that would have been discarded for any number of reasons like size or shape or age.

Testimony in the hearing referred to ReFED, an organization fighting food waste, and the roadmap they created to reduce food waste and its impact by 20% within the next decade. (The USDA/EPA issued a nationwide target of 50% reduction by 2030, last year.) Rethink Food Waste Through Economics and Data’s (ReFED) Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste, released in March, details 27 cost effective, feasible and accessible solutions to reach the goal.

Some of the ideas presented have been bounced about for years, but now this roadmap lays out the most effective ones, relating them to the impact they can have on hunger and the environment. If implemented, the value of these solutions could be:

$10 Billion of Economic Value
1.8 Billion Meals Saved
1.6 Trillion Gallons of Water Saved Annually
$5.6 Billion Annual Consumer Savings
$1.9 Billion Annual Business Profit Potential
18 Million Tons of GHG Emissions Reduced annually

The 3 top actions identified to help reduce food waste are:
Consumer Education Campaigns
Standardized Date Labeling
Packaging Adjustments

“As chefs, it’s in our best interest to make sure safe, edible product does not go unused. We are here to help Congress understand that it’s in our country’s best interest to do the same. I am happy that so many chefs and leading experts are here with me today to help drive positive, bipartisan change.” said Tom Colicchio of “Top Chef” fame.

Food waste has been discussed in this blog at length, but the fact remains, 40% of food in the US is thrown away. While 50% of the food in restaurants is thrown out, the bulk of that 40% is generated in homes around the country. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 70% is home waste. Think about how that wasted food also wastes resources like water, energy, fuel, and contributes to greenhouse gas emission through the methane gas emitted by rotting food. Take it a step further and consider that 60 million tons of food is thrown away while 1 in 7 Americans (1 in 5 Children) are food insecure.

We’ve all done it, thrown away food because we were unsure if it was safe, forgotten about it and grew a science project, or ordered too much for dinner and didn’t even eat the leftovers doggie-bagged home. Each of those behaviors eats away at our resources from food, to water, fuel, soil, atmosphere, and people. Tom Colicchio said. “We applaud the House Agriculture Committee for leading the charge and working across the aisle to reduce food waste, which will reduce hunger, bolster the economy and help farmers. Reducing food waste today can make a huge positive difference for our food system tomorrow.” When nonprofits like Table to Table are on the same page with large food companies, chefs, food waste and environmental advocates and legislators, the impact we will have improving the lives of everyone in our society is maximized.

See that pretty apple? It looks like it’s right out of a picture book, just the right shade of storybook red. So many of them too, all looking perfect stacked up waiting to go home with you.  Or that bag full of sunny yellow lemons, smiling from a bowl on your kitchen counter. And that stalk of dusty green Brussel sprouts, like a wand of miniature lettuce heads, waiting to be sautéed or steamed to nourish us with vitamins and beta-carotenes.

But that shimmering land of fruits and vegetables in our fairy tale holds a dark secret and it’s time to bring it to light. Our perfect garden is changing our climate and there’s little time left to stop it. In a study published last month by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, projections for global food loss/waste were considered in conjunction with associated emissions. Their analysis revealed that although food requirements have changed minimally over the past 50 years, food surplus has increased by 65%, with agriculture accounting for 20% of global greenhouse-gas emissions in 2010.

The eating patterns of the Western world contribute to the increase in greenhouse-gas emissions. The image below shows how food waste has grown versus nearly unchanged food requirements, at a time when the global food deficit has decreased.

According to the study, avoiding agricultural food waste could help prevent climate impacts such as weather extremes and sea-level rise. Jürgen Kropp, co-author of the study, said it’s no secret the Western world is responsible for today’s emergency.  “Part of the climate crisis,” Kropp said, “is our food consumption style in Western countries.” As emerging economies, if India and China follow our example of food waste, they could over proportionally increase greenhouse-gas emissions and undermine climate protection efforts.

By reducing food waste, there would be a direct impact on climate change while at the same time, hunger worldwide could see a reduction. At current rates, greenhouse-gas emissions will rise almost 300% by 2050, while food requirements will only rise 2-20% in that time. Co-author of the study, Prajal Pradhan explains, “…agriculture is a major driver of climate change…” Avoiding food loss and waste would therefore avoid unnecessary greenhouse-gas emissions and help mitigate climate change.”

Up to 14 percent of overall agricultural emissions in 2050 could easily be avoided through better management of food distribution and waste management. Examining our supply chain and distribution systems is imperative. Farms occupy 38% of our land (compared to just 2 percent for cities), and use 70% of our fresh water. Creating more efficiency, putting aside the need for esthetics of our ingredients and managing the food chain could help to produce enough food to feed 10 billion people in a world of 800+ million food insecure or hungry people. In essence, individual consumer behaviors can have a dramatic effect on not only the food waste crisis, but climate change concerns as well.

Impacting the supply chain by rerouting excess food from dumpsters to our neighbors who are food insecure and hungry will have a long term consequences for our environment. Wasting less food will feed more people. When you shop, ask for locally sourced produce, dairy and meats. Buy ugly fruits and vegetables and ask your local grocery retailers and restaurants what they’re doing with their excess food. If enough consumers voice their concerns, retailers will get the message that it is not okay to throw out food, or order too much, or only offer food you’d find in a fairy tale.

Food waste and food insecurity are no longer unfamiliar concepts. We’re making strides getting past our need for over abundance. More and more Americans are reducing the amount of food they throw out, adding composting to their lifestyles and making smarter choices when shopping. More retailers are offering specials on food nearing expiration and making efforts to donate to food rescue organizations like Table to Table. We can all influence the food supply and force it to work differently. By reducing waste, we can save resources like water and energy while increasing food security all the way down to the local level.  And that would create a very happy ending to the story.

In October 1996, Congress passed and President Clinton signed into law the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, unifying protections available throughout the US, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico of business and individuals who want to donate excess food. Yet even after 20 years on the books, many are unaware of the law and we still waste 40% of our food, much of it perfect for donation.

Why, then, isn’t excess food donated?

Seems a no-brainer. You have excess food; you have neighbors without enough food. Why not donate that food to neighbors in need? Since those neighbors number a staggering 46+ million in the US and 1.1+ million just in New Jersey, this is a common-sense way to address the issue of local hunger. Yet many corporations, businesses, restaurants, individuals and organizations do not donate excess food from meetings, cafeterias, events, etc.

Two key reasons come to the forefront of every conversation about food donation: Liability and Logistics.

Fear of liability and an ensuing law suit dictates many of the decisions we make in the US. It can be argued that litigation is one of our strongest industries but it turns out, when it comes to food donation, there is a poor understanding of the risks. Since October 1, 2016, The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act has protected donors in all 50 states from civil and criminal liability for good faith donations.

In 1990, all 50 states had statutes in place limiting the liability of food donors, but they were varied and left a difficult patchwork of laws that potential food donors needed teams of lawyers to navigate. Understandably, food donation became impossible for donors, large and small, to contend with. The Model Good Samaritan Act of 1990 was intended to give states a standard law to follow individually and independently, but with no force of law, only one state adopted the act. Missouri Representative Pat Danner recognized that the Model Good Samaritan Act would have limited use; she enlisted fellow Missouri Representative Bill Emerson to co-sponsor bill HR2428, the Good Samaritan Act. It would have the force of law it needed to successfully protect and encourage food donation. Representative Emerson was a profound proponent of issues involving hunger and had great clout with his colleagues.  It was his long-standing support of hunger related issues along with his influence that were instrumental to the bill’s passage. Sadly, toward the end of the legislative process, Representative Emerson’s health failed and he passed away in June of 1996. At that time, Congress amended the bill so that it would be titled “The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act” to honor his efforts at reducing hunger and improving the nation’s nutrition programs.

Specifically, the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (42 U.S.C. § 1791) encourages food donations by providing liability protections for businesses that donate ‘apparently wholesome’ food in ‘good faith’ to nonprofit organizations. 42 U.S.C. § 1758(l) explicitly states that schools participating in the national lunch program that donate excess food receive liability protection under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, which:

• Protects you from liability when you donate to a non-profit organization;
• Protects you from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the recipient;
• Standardizes donor liability exposure, eliminating the need to investigate liability laws in 50 states; and
• Sets a floor of “gross negligence” or intentional misconduct for persons who donate grocery products. According to the new law, gross negligence is defined as “voluntary and conscious conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of conduct) that the conduct is likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.”

Additional laws in place to help encourage the donation of “wholesome food” are those that give tax credits to businesses and encourage federal agencies and contractors to donate to food rescue.

Internal Revenue Code 170 (e) (3) provides enhanced tax deductions to businesses to encourage donations of fit and wholesome food to qualified nonprofit organizations serving the poor and needy.

The US Federal Food Donation Act of 2008 was added to clarify and specify contract language to encourage federal agencies and their contractors to donate excess wholesome food to eligible nonprofit organizations to feed food-insecure people in the United States.

According to the Legal Guide to the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, by the University of Arkansas School of Law, “…a thorough search of filings and reported decisions did not turn up a single case that involved food donation-related liability or any attempts to get around the protections offered by the Bill Emerson Act. Additionally, several leading food recovery experts and anti-hunger advocates report that they are unaware of any such actual or threatened lawsuits.” So, the liability concerns are pretty well buttoned up.

Now back to the second reason given, logistics.

The logistics of large scale food donation like the type a restaurant or retailer may make are not as daunting as they may seem. Food rescue organizations, like Table to Table, make every effort to ensure that the donation process is as seamless and easy for the donor as possible. Taking the logistics, size and needs of each individual business into consideration, a plan is devised to take as little valuable time from each donor’s busy day as possible. Table to Table has 5 refrigerated trucks that start and finish each day empty, having picked up and delivered over 10,000 pounds of food per vehicle. Super simple and efficient!

If 15% of the food that is thrown away were rescued, it would feed 25 million people. Since one of the biggest obstacles to getting excess food to hungry people is a lack of information or awareness of the Good Samaritan Law, for its birthday, help get the word out.  Inform your local grocery store, favorite restaurant, corporation, farmers markets, food wholesaler, and caterer that it’s worth the effort to live up to Representative Bill Emerson’s goals.  We may not be able to end hunger, but we can certainly make sure that each of our neighbors has a wholesome meal each night. Don’t throw away your chance to help!

Finally, some good news for SNAP recipients. After continued battles to cut funding to the former Food Stamp program, potential new rules will increase access to healthier options for SNAP recipients.

Let’s take a stroll back to 2014 when Congress passed the Farm Bill. It included a requirement for the Agriculture Department to develop regulations that would assure authorized SNAP retailers stock a wider array of healthy food options. Currently, 46 million low-income individuals are SNAP recipients, nearly 50% are children, 40% are households with earnings and 10% are elderly. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is an effective and efficient way to positively impact the health of no and low income citizens.

The USDA rules would affect up to 46 million Americans who use food stamps and would not dictate what people buy or eat (alcohol and tobacco products, however, are not allowed) but will increase the healthy options available to them. According to Kevin Concannon, the USDA Undersecretary, the department is committed to expanding access to healthier foods for SNAP recipients. On February 16, 2016 the Agriculture Department proposed regulations for all authorized food stamp retailers to stock a wider variety of healthy food choices.

Here are the new regulations for an authorized retailer:

• Must stock at least 7 varieties in each food group: The groups are fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and poultry, bread and cereal, and dairy.
• At least 3 of the items in each group must be perishable items.
• Required to have enough stock of each item in a group to ensure they are always readily available; the minimum is 6 units of each item. That is an increase to 168 items that are considered healthy by the USDA standard.
• Public disclosure of disqualified and sanctions retailers for violations of the rules.

That’s a huge change from the current standard of at least 3 varieties of food in each of the four food groups and dramatically increases the opportunities for families to get out to the fast and processed food rut that lack of affordability typically pens them into.

The USDA recognizes the potential hardship for convenience stores to qualify under the new rules and wants to be sure that these rules do not inadvertently limit or inhibit the access to food retailers for low-income families. Provisions might be established to waive requirements in some areas. Urban areas like Newark and Paterson, where a food desert exists, may need these accommodations but, as the Agriculture Department improves approval processes for retailers and larger stores move into these deserts, the access to more nutritious options at the store will become a reality.

In New Jersey, a family of 4 with a monthly income of $3,739 per month qualifies for some food stamp benefits. The maximum annual income for a family of 4 is $31,525 to receive benefits and the maximum payout per month is $649 or $1.80 per meal per person. These new rules are one of many ways the USDA is working to expand access to healthy food. It is piloting incentives to purchase healthy foods at various venues like farmers’ markets and small grocery stores, to encourage increased purchase of local produce. The Farm Bill also set aside $100 million for Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grants in Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 that resulted in access to farmers’ markets and direct marketing farmers. This has increased the number of authorized locations by 6,000 and it is expected that the USDA will expand these grants and programs.

Assuring that participants are not hindered in accessing food as part of these regulations is an important consideration but, an equally important part of the new rules will be the required public disclosure of SNAP retailers that are disqualified from accepting SNAP dollars or are sanctioned by the USDA for violations of the rules. “SNAP violations are a serious matter,” Concannon said. “Public disclosure of this information is intended to serve as a deterrent against retailer fraud. The information would provide the public with insight into the integrity of these businesses and individuals.” The disclosures will include the name of the store, address, officers’ and owners’ names and the nature of the violation.

Table to Table has always believed in the necessity of fresh and nutritious food for everyone. Their benefits are even more significant for people who are hunger insecure. We applaud every effort made to increase the amount of healthy, perishable food made available to the areas that need it the most. And as more and more retailers provide greater quantities of fresh food, Table to Table’s trucks will be right there to rescue any and all that is in excess, enabling us to bring even more wholesome food to the low-income communities we serve daily.

As humans, we’ve been eating for a very long time and actually cooking for about 1.9 million years. It seems that product date labeling hasn’t been around nearly as long and yet, we have survived as a species. Still, those dates scream at us, from the side, top, bottom, or in that weird fold of food packages, to resist purchasing anything too close to today’s date. Have you also felt the rising panic of not being able to find the date stamp on a package of eggs (something that is good for 5 weeks after purchase)? Even soda has a “Best if Used By” date. Soda! That stuff that urban legend says will take the paint off a car has a “Best if Used By” by date!

It’s scary to see those dates looming at us from the refrigerator and cabinets, threatening the health of our families as we try to prepare meals. But what do they really mean? Let’s replace that lightbulb in the fridge, shed some light, and take a closer look at food dating.

The first and most important step to understanding food expiration dates is to recognize that these dates are all about food quality and not about food safety. Second, there is no federal regulation for food dating (with the exception of baby formula).

Here are the types of dates you’ll find on food packaging as defined by the USDA.

• “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
• “Best if Used By (or Before)” date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
• “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
• “Closed or coded dates” are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.

None of those dates speak to safety. Even the “Use-By” date is about peak quality, and that’s the date found on meat, dairy and eggs – things we perceive as the most fragile. The best way to keep food safe it to learn shelf life standards and to store it properly. Freeze meats within 2 days of purchase regardless of the package date. Know the freezer dates for meats: Lamb, pork, veal, beef, poultry are all good for 1 year frozen; ground meat for 4 months; lean fish like flounder are good for 6 months and fatty fish like salmon for 3 months. Packaged luncheon meats are fine for 2 months. Milk and dairy products are good for several days past the package date; yogurt a full 1 to 2 weeks past the package date, even once it’s opened. As mentioned above, eggs are good for 5 weeks after the package date but it is best to store them in the refrigerator not on the door where they heat up each time the door is opened. To check if an egg is good, put it in a glass and fill the glass with water, if the egg sinks it’s good, if it floats it isn’t. Canned foods are technically good forever, even with dents, as long as the seals are not broken or leaking.

The number one way to check for food’s quality, even after considering the date, is your nose. Once food has developed foul odors or flavors, or appears different in any way, it should not be used or consumed any longer. It’s a system that has been working for more than 1.9 million years. Our bodies have perfected the sense. It’s a little like using the Force.

Now that we know food dating is really about food quality, that the date on bread is really about consuming it closest to fresh baked, consider its impact on the mountain of food waste. Grocery stores are forced to throw out $2,300 worth of food on average per day due to product labeling dates. Nine out of ten Americans throw out food needlessly because of these dates, costing a typical American family between $1,350 to $2,275 per year.

Despite the origin and true meaning of these food dates, the plain fact is that tons of food that is good to eat will continue to be discarded. And that is why the service Table to Table provides is so critical. Working within our communities to redistribute food that is slated for disposal not only addresses food waste issues but, more importantly, provides access to needed food for our neighbors in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties. In each and every one of these counties there are people who are struggling and families that don’t know where their next meal will come from. We provide them with the healthy, nutritious food they need to remain satiated and stay healthy. Learn more about how we help at Table to Table.

They’re here! The holidays are here! October through December are the most celebratory months of the year. Once Halloween decorations go up, it seems everything is in hyper-speed on the way to New Year’s Eve. So much to do, so many people to see. Our attention goes to family and friends, love and hope, giving and charity. We want to take care of others at this time of peace and sharing. It makes sense that this is the time of year we think about those less fortunate, and why volunteerism rates go up and charitable giving increases. One of the top reasons individuals make donations at this time of the year is for that feel good moment. There’s a lot to be said for sharing our good fortune with others.

That makes the holiday giving season a critical fundraising time for not-for-profit organizations. The last three months of the year are when 34% of donations are made. Surprisingly, individual donors made up 74% of charitable gifts last year to the tune of $456.73 billion. Truly proving that every donation counts. The number one reason an individual makes a donation to any given nonprofit is simply that they are asked. Good news for charities but it can create an unpleasant experience for donors who later learn the charity doesn’t live up to expectations.

Almost unbelievably, only one third of donors do any research when considering their charitable gift. The good news is that there are a number of charity-rating services available to individuals looking to help their neighbors in need this holiday season.

One of the most prestigious is Charity Navigator, a not-for-profit charity-rating guide available for individuals to research the causes they are passionate about. Their ratings are detailed, easy to understand, and updated regularly (based each year on the organization’s 990 filing).

Unlike other rating organizations, Charity Navigator uses a two-tier classification system. First charities are defined using 11 broadly defined Categories widely recognized by most classification tools and not original to Charity Navigator. The second classification is by Cause; those are original to Charity Navigator. Thirty-five Causes have been identified throughout all 11 categories.

Each charity is assigned a category and a cause using 3 criteria –

1. Activity code selected in the IRS filing to determine how the charity defines itself.
2. Examination of programs and services offered to determine what the charity does.
3. Examination of the financial information to determine how the charity functions.

Table to Table falls into the Human Services category and the Food Banks, Food Pantries, and Food Distribution cause. Here’s the full category with its causes.

Human Services

Children’s and Family Services

Youth Development, Shelter, and Crisis Services

Food Banks, Food Pantries, and Food Distribution

Multipurpose Human Service Organizations

Homeless Services

Social Services

Ratings show how efficiently a charity uses their support, sustains its programs and the level of commitment to being accountable and transparent, as well as their financial health. This gives donors an efficient way to determine an organization’s strength in its category and cause.

Let’s get it out there now -we have exciting news! We were notified last week that Table to Table has received a 4 star status from Charity Navigator for the 6^th straight year AND we are ranked the #1 human services agency in the state of NJ. We could not be prouder of the hard work of our staff and volunteers.

Like every charitable organization, we rely on the support of our individual donors to help us continue to meet goals like our 15 million meals for 2015. The need for fresh, perishable food continues to grow and we are working tirelessly to meet that need. We do not charge the organizations that donate food and we do not charge recipient agencies that receive food. We do not use government funding. We rely on strong fundraising activities, our loyal volunteer base, our dedicated staff and YOU, to help us deliver nearly 40,000 pounds of food each day. Please check out our rating on Charity Navigator as you consider where to give your charitable gift this holiday season. Each dollar will provide 10 meals and you’ll be providing consistent, nutritious meals for families right here in Northern New Jersey.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our supporters, big and small, without whom our mission to provide fresh, nutritious food to our neighbors who need it most could never be accomplished. We wish you a very happy holiday season and great success, health and happiness for the New Year. Thank you for being a part of the Table to Table Family!