Food Bank Volunteer Training

What you’ll learn

• Understand why food safety is central to the food bank’s mission and your role in it
• Keep food out of the temperature danger zone using cold, hot, and 2-hour rules
• Rotate stock with FIFO, read date labels, and spot spoiled or recalled items
• Practice personal hygiene and know when to stay home when you are sick
• Prevent cross-contamination and protect neighbors with food allergies (the Big 9)
• Lift boxes, stack pallets, and work near forklifts without getting hurt
• Serve every neighbor with dignity, respect, and strict confidentiality
• Respond calmly and correctly to allergic reactions and everyday emergencies

Course outline

1. 1

   Why food safety is your job here

   How safe food handling protects vulnerable neighbors — and why donated food meets the same standards as any store.

   5 min Quiz Interactive
2. 2

   The temperature danger zone

   Keep cold food cold, hot food hot, and everything out of the 40°F–140°F range where bacteria thrive.

   7 min Quiz Interactive
3. 3

   FIFO, date labels & spotting bad food

   Rotate stock “first in, first out,” read date labels correctly, and pull spoiled or recalled items.

   7 min Quiz Written + interactive
4. 4

   Personal hygiene & staying home sick

   Handwashing done right, clean habits at the table, and the symptoms that mean you should not come in.

   6 min Quiz Interactive
5. 5

   Cross-contamination & the Big 9 allergens

   Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods apart, and protect neighbors with life-threatening food allergies.

   7 min Quiz Written + interactive
6. 6

   Warehouse, lifting & forklift safety

   Lift boxes the right way, stack pallets safely, and stay clear of forklifts and pallet jacks.

   6 min Quiz Interactive
7. 7

   Dignity, respect & confidentiality

   Treat every neighbor as a welcome guest, drop the judgment, and protect their privacy.

   5 min Quiz Written + interactive
8. 8

   Emergencies, allergies & putting it together

   Respond calmly to allergic reactions, spills, and injuries — and pull the whole shift together.

   5 min Quiz Interactive

Sources & further reading

• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) — “Danger Zone” (40°F – 140°F)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — Food Allergies — the 9 major food allergens (incl. sesame, 2023)
• Partnership for Food Safety Education (Fight BAC!) — Four Food Safety Practices: Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill
• Feeding America — Ensuring Food Meets Safety Standards
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) — Freezing and Food Safety — the three safe ways to thaw
• Foodlink (Feeding America network) — Client Choice: A Handbook for Food Pantries — dignity & confidentiality