Food Safety & Handling: From TeamFund Delivery to Your Freezer!

Photo from a TeamFund delivery for Wildcats Football Club! >>Read Their Success Story.

So, you ran a TeamFund Fundraiser and now it’s time to get ready for delivery day and ensure everyone’s food gets home safe and sound.

Maintaining proper food safety and handling practices is important in keeping your fundraising products fresh and safe to consume.

All of the items sold in our fundraisers are delivered on a refrigerated truck from a federally-inspected facility. Some of it arrives fresh, and some frozen, depending on the products.

While our refrigerated trucks keep everything in great condition, minimizing the time between pick-up and proper refrigeration is essential.

Tips for a Successful Delivery Day!

1. Communication, Communication, Communication

We talk about communication a lot when discussing the fundraising process, but that’s because it’s so important to success!

Your supporters should know already that they will need to pick up the fundraising products they purchase from your fundraiser on your TeamFund delivery date.

Make sure to communicate with all of your supporters the date for your delivery day as well as the time.

Be sure to include in your communications that if someone cannot come to the delivery time, they must arrange for someone else to pick their products up on their behalf (and store the food safely in the meantime!)

2. Arrive on Time

When we are dealing with fresh food, time is of the essence.

Gather a few volunteers to arrive early to help sort boxes and prepare to hand out orders.

As people arrive for pick-up, boxes can be passed out immediately and be on their way to their home kitchen in no time!

Wolverines Hockey

Calgary Villains FC

Calalta Figure Skating

Queen Elizabeth School

Once orders have been collected, it is crucial to refrigerate your items within 2 hours of your delivery time. Making sure things make it to the fridge and freezer quickly helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

At TeamFund, boxes are typically sorted and in cars within an hour of your delivery time!

**If your home is over an hour from the delivery location, we recommend you have insulated cooler bags or coolers with ice packs ready to keep your items from falling below safe temperatures.

3. Safe Food Storage & Handling

When you get home from your fundraiser drop-off, FREEZE YOUR MEAT unless you plan on eating it within 1-2 days!

Freezing your meat as soon as possible is important to preserve its flavour and avoid freezer burn.

When you freeze your food quickly ensures that the water molecules in your food don’t have time to develop into full ice crystals (like snowflakes).

You’ve probably seen these snowflakes on food items that have been frozen for a long time and know from experience that these meats taste the worst because all the moisture has been sucked out.

Freezing your foods quickly avoids the issue of ice crystals and keeps your meats BBQ-ready for much much longer!

Have more questions about properly storing your meats?

🎉 Congratulations on a successful fundraiser! 🎉

With these tips in mind, you can confidently handle and transport your refrigerated and frozen items from your TeamFund delivery.

Disclaimer: These tips serve as general guidelines. Please exercise caution, use your best judgment, and follow any specific instructions provided on food packaging to ensure best practices!