18.03.020 Requirements for food recovery organizations and services.
A. Food recovery services operating in the town and collecting or receiving edible food directly from commercial edible food generators via a contract or written agreement established under the requirements of this title shall maintain the following records:
1. The name, address, and contact information for each commercial edible food generator from which the service collects edible food.
2. The quantity in pounds of edible food by type collected from each commercial edible food generator per month.
3. The quantity in pounds of edible food by type transported to each food recovery organization or redistribution site per month.
4. The name, address, and contact information for each food recovery organization or redistribution site that the food recovery service transports edible food to for edible food recovery.
B. Food recovery organizations operating in the town and collecting or receiving edible food directly from commercial edible food generators via a contract or written agreement established under the requirements of this title, or receiving edible food from food recovery services or from other food recovery organizations, shall maintain the following records:
1. The name, address, and contact information for each commercial edible food generator, food recovery service, or other food recovery organization from which the organization collects or receives edible food.
2. The quantity in pounds of edible food by type collected or received from each commercial edible food generator, food recovery service, or other food recovery organization per month.
3. The name, address, and contact information for other food recovery organizations or redistribution sites that the food recovery organization transports edible food to for edible food recovery.
C. Food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town shall inform commercial edible food generators from which they collect or receive edible food about California and federal Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protection in written communications, such as in their contract or agreement established as required by this title.
D. Commencing no later than July 1, 2022, food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town and collecting or receiving edible food from commercial edible food generators or any other source shall report to the town or its designee for edible food recovery the following: a detailed edible food activity report of the information collected as required under this title, including weight in pounds by type and source of edible food, the schedule/frequency of pickups/drop-offs of edible food from/to each edible food source or redistribution site, brief analysis of any necessary process improvements or additional infrastructure needed to support edible food recovery efforts, such as training, staffing, refrigeration, vehicles, etc., and an up-to-date list of commercial edible food generators with whom they have contracts or agreements established as required under this title. The designee for edible food recovery will assist in the preparation of these reports by providing guidance and a template. This edible food activity report shall be submitted quarterly, or at the discretion of the designee for edible food recovery, less frequently, and shall cover the activity that occurred since the period of the last submission.
E. Food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town shall contact the designee for edible food recovery to discuss the requirements of this title before establishing new contracts or agreements with commercial edible food generators and in order to maintain existing contracts or agreements for the recovery of edible food with commercial edible food generators.
F. In order to provide the required records to the state, the town, or the designee for edible food recovery, and commercial edible food generators, contracts between food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town and commercial edible food generators shall either:
1. Use the Model Food Recovery Agreement developed by the state of California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle,) and include a clause requiring the food recovery organization or food recovery service to report to the commercial edible food generators with whom they have contracts the annual amount of edible food recovered and to inform them of the tax benefits available to those who donate edible food to nonprofits.
2. Or include in their contracts the following elements:
a. List/description of allowable foods the food recovery organization/food recovery service will receive.
b. List/description of foods not accepted by the food recovery organization/food recovery service.
c. Conditions for refusal of food.
d. Food safety requirements, training, and protocols.
e. Transportation and storage requirements and training.
f. A protocol for informing the commercial edible food generators of a missed or delayed pickup.
g. Notice that donation dumping is prohibited.
h. Provisions to collect sufficient information to meet the recordkeeping requirements of this title.
i. Fees/financial contributions/acknowledgement of terms for the pickup and redistribution of edible food.
j. Terms and conditions consistent with the CalRecycle Model Food Recovery Agreement.
k. Information supplying the commercial edible food generators with the annual amount of edible food recovered and informing them of the tax benefits that may be available to those who donate edible food to nonprofits.
l. Contact name, address, phone number, and email for both responsible parties, including the current on-site staff responsible for edible food recovery.
m. Food recovery organizations accepting self-hauling of edible food from commercial edible food generators must provide a schedule, including days of the week and acceptable times for drop-offs, and information about any limitation on the amount of food accepted, and/or the packaging requirements or other conditions of transport, such as, but not limited to, maintaining proper temperature control, and other requirements for the safe handling and transport of food, the self-hauler must follow for the edible food to be accepted.
G. Food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town shall demonstrate that all persons, including volunteers and contracted workers using their own vehicle, involved in the handling or transport of edible food, have obtained a food handler card through an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited training provider that meets ASTM International E2659-09 Standard Practice for Certificate Programs, such as ServSafe.
H. Food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town shall use the appropriate temperature control equipment and methods and maintain the required temperatures for the safe handling of edible food recovered from commercial edible food generators for the duration of the transportation of the edible food for redistribution, including edible food transported by private vehicles.
I. In order to ensure recovered edible food is eaten and to prevent donation dumping, food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town shall provide documentation that all redistribution sites which are not themselves food recovery organizations to which they deliver edible food have a feeding or redistribution program in place to distribute, within a reasonable time, all the edible food they receive. Such documentation may include a website address which explains the program or pamphlets/brochures prepared by the redistribution site.
J. Food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town unable to demonstrate a positive reduction in GHG emissions for their edible food recovery operational model cannot contract with commercial edible food generators in the town for the purpose of recovering edible food as defined in this title. Food recovery organizations and food recovery services contracting to recover edible food from a commercial edible food generator for redistribution shall consult with the town’s designee for edible food recovery to document that their overall operational model will achieve a greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Such review may analyze route review, miles traveled for pick-up and redistribution, amount of food rescued, and the likelihood of consumption after redistribution.
K. Food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town shall visually inspect all edible food recovered or received from a commercial edible food generator. If significant spoilage is found, or if the food is otherwise found to be unfit for redistribution for human consumption, food recovery organizations and food recovery services shall immediately provide written notice via e-mail to the designee for edible food recovery. The notice shall include:
1. The type and amount, in pounds, of spoiled food or food unfit for redistribution for human consumption, or provide a photographic record of the food, or both.
2. The date and time such food was identified.
3. The name, address and contact information for the commercial edible food generator which provided the food.
4. The date and time the food was picked up or received.
5. A brief explanation of why the food was rejected or refused, if applicable.
L. Contracts between commercial edible food generators and food recovery organizations or food recovery services shall not include any language prohibiting commercial edible food generators from contracting or holding agreements with multiple food recovery organizations or food recovery services listed on the county of San Mateo office of sustainability website.
M. Food recovery organizations and food recovery services operating in the town shall conduct trainings and develop educational material such as donation guidelines and handouts to provide instruction and direction to commercial edible food generators with whom they contract regarding best practices and requirements for the timely identification, selection, preparation, and storage of edible food to ensure the maximum amount of edible food is recovered and to avoid the collection of food that is moldy, has been improperly stored, or is otherwise unfit for human consumption.
N. In order to support edible food recovery capacity planning assessments or other such studies, food recovery services and food recovery organizations operating in the town shall provide information and consultation to the town and its designee for edible food recovery upon request, regarding existing, or proposed new or expanded, edible food recovery capacity that could be accessed by the town and its commercial edible food generators. A food recovery service or food recovery organization contacted by the town or its designee for edible food recovery shall respond to such requests for information within sixty days.
O. Allow the town’s designee to access the premises and inspect procedures and review records related to edible food recovery and/or provide them electronically if requested by the town or the designee for edible food recovery. (Ord. 649 § 3, 2021)