A Guide to Food Drives

Any season is a good time to give, but we know that sometimes there are questions about what is accepted and what is better to avoid to make the most significant impact. Check out our guide to food drives and become a well-seasoned giving pro.

Items to Avoid:

Heavily Dented Cans: Cans with deep dents or dents near the seal are items to avoid due to possible compromise of the seal. If the seal is compromised, it could cause bacteria to grow in the contents of the can, and cause illness upon consumption.

Opened Products: These are not accepted because bacteria can grow on these products and cause illness upon consumption. Something to keep in mind when donating is, if you were in need, would you want to get this product? If the answer is no, it might be better to avoid.

Fresh Produce: While we love to receive fresh produce, and do accept those types of items, they are not ideal for the food drive setting. Produce items may spoil or become damaged in the barrels before the Food Bank picks them up. If you are interested in donating fresh produce, you can drop it off at the Food Bank of Siouxland Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.

Products in Glass Packaging: Glass packaging is not ideal in a food drive setting because it may break in transit or during the sorting process at the warehouse. For food drives, we recommend items in cans, boxes, or bags.

Homemade Food or Repackaged Product: Due to food regulation guidelines, to distribute food items at the Food Bank, items must have nutrition labels that include all ingredients and allergen information.

Foods past their best-by or use-by dates: In some instances, due to food regulation guidelines, we accept some products past the printed date due to minimal nutritional decline. For canned, bagged and boxed items, we accept them up to a year past the best-by date if there are no signs of damage (ie. bulging, leaking, a damaged seal, severe dents, or a popped seal).

We recommend avoiding donating products past the use-by date during the food drive season, as some items may be considered unsafe for consumption and would be considered waste in the warehouse.

Federal Regulation requires that infant formula/baby food products have a use-by date to ensure they contain the correct quantity of nutrients listed on the label. Due to this, we do not accept infant formula or baby food after its use-by date.

Giving Guidelines:

When giving, stick to the basics. Items like peanut butter, jelly, soup, pasta, cereal, and similar non-perishable items are great choices. Think about some of the items you like in those categories or your “pantry staples”, drop them off at the food drive site and you're golden.

Whether you're buying directly at the store or cleaning out your cupboards this food drive season, keep these guidelines in mind, and when in doubt, throw it out. Unsafe food can cause serious illness or death. If you would like to learn more, please call our office at (712) 255-9741, and we will be happy to elaborate on any of these items.

We appreciate your commitment to keeping our community fed and providing them with nutritious meals throughout the year.