R510-104-14. Congregate Meals

Requirements for Congregate Meal Providers:

(1) Each AAA and AAA Advisory Council, or local equivalent, shall determine the number of congregate sites to be established and their days of operation.

(2) Local AAA's must provide congregate meals a minimum of five days per week except in a rural area where such frequency is not feasible and a lesser frequency has been approved by the division).

(3) Leftover Food:

(a) All food transported to sites which becomes "leftover," except unopened prepackaged food, must be properly disposed of at the meal site or the main food preparation site in compliance with State Health Department regulations.

(b) AAAs shall develop policies and procedures to minimize leftover meals. Use of a reservation system for participation in the congregate meal program is recommended.

(c) Leftovers shall be offered to all participants as second helpings at those congregate settings which do not have on-site methods to preserve leftover food to meet the nutritional standards for later consumption which are approved by the State Health Department). If a complete meal is provided to a client as a second meal, the client shall be given an opportunity to make another confidential donation.

(d) Each nutrition site, in a location that is easily visible to patrons, shall have a disclaimer which states: "For Your Safety: Food removed from the center must be kept hot or refrigerated promptly. We cannot be responsible for illness or problems caused by improperly handled food."

(e) No food shall be taken from the site by staff.

(f) Leftover foods at on-site cooking facilities shall be properly refrigerated and incorporated into subsequent meals whenever possible.

(4) Food being served shall be protected from consumer contamination by the use of packaging or by the use of an easily cleanable counter, serving line, or salad bar protector devices, display cases, or by other means which minimize human contact with the food being served. Enough hot or cold food serving containers shall be available to maintain the required temperature of potentially hazardous food.