Presents:
COMMERCIAL-GRADE CHURCH KITCHENS
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IS A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN RIGHT FOR YOUR CHURCH? With equipment, exhaust systems, plumbing, electricity, building codes and so much more to consider — all at a considerable cost — building a commercial church kitchen is a big decision. But, it’s also a smart one.
By RaeAnn Slaybaugh
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A FEW WORDS ABOUT OVENS As with any kitchen, the oven is the heart of a commercial-grade operation. Because it’s such a big investment (in terms of ministry and money), design experts recommend thinking “outside the box” about some advanced, cost-saving options.
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WHAT TO EXPECT IF YOU’RE INSPECTED Generally speaking, if a church cooks for and sells food to the public, it’s subject to regular inspections from the state health department.
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HANDLE WITH CARE Whether they’re subject to regular inspections or not, church kitchens should incorporate a safety program into their operations. PREVENTING FOODBORNE ILLNESSES Of all the liabilities that can derail a church’s food ministry, a foodborne illness is one of the quickest.
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ON THE COVER: Photo provided by Marcus White
“In my opinion, the cost difference doesn’t warrant building a warming kitchen, in the long run. In fact, it’s sometimes more expensive … than a commercial kitchen because everyone thinks they ‘own’ it, but no one takes responsibility for it. That kind of use takes its toll on equipment and supplies, whereas a commercial kitchen fosters a sense of accountability.” — Marcus White, Director of Hospitality, First Baptist Church of Orlando & | CHURCH EXECUTIVE Executive Director, Global Association of Christian Hospitality Professionals (GACHP) COMMERCIAL KITCHENS / FOOD SERVICE
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IS A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN RIGHT FOR YOUR
CHURCH? With equipment, exhaust systems, plumbing, electricity, building codes and so much more to consider — all at a considerable cost — building a commercial church kitchen is a big decision. But, it’s also a smart one.
BY RAEANN SLAYBAUGH
4 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | COMMERCIAL KITCHENS / FOOD SERVICE
COMMERCIAL KITCHENS / FOOD SERVICE | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | 5
Any church that wants to add a
commercial kitchen and a warming, or
commercial kitchen to its campus learns
residential-style, setup. Because these
quickly that it’s no small undertaking.
nuances are subject to local health and
Depending on the kitchen’s intended
fire jurisdictions, they vary greatly across
uses, there are a multitude of equipment
the country.
requirements, liabilities, staffing and
Church design professionals such as
inspection considerations to navigate —
Ernest C. (Terry) Biglow, III, AIA — managing
often, more than the church bargained for.
principal at CDH Partners, Inc., in Marietta, GA — are used to leading clients through
Commercial, by design To start with, it can be confusing to decipher the differences between a
this complex territory. “For one thing, commercial kitchens are subject to inspections for compliance with the local
(Photo provided by Churches by Daniels)
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health department, and the number of meals served might influence the frequency of those inspections,” he explains. “And, on the equipment side, anything more than a microwave could be considered a commercial kitchen, in some areas of the U.S.”
EXPERT TIPS CONSIDER SERVING WARE CAREFULLY
For these reasons, architects say it’s critically important that the church speak to both city and county officials about fire, health and building codes. “All three impact kitchens, and the last thing you want is to discover a requirement after everything is built,” explains Eric MacInerney,
The large commercial kitchen at the Oklahoma Assembly of God Camp in Sparks, OK, fuels a state-of-the art dining hall equipped to serve 1,000 people three meals a day (shown, left).
“Storage is a big plate ware consideration. At our church, we have china service and flatware for 1,000 people, which requires a lot of storage space, not to mention a 1,500-square-foot dishwashing area. “Plate ware also affects the cost to serve people. For instance, we recently hosted a plated breakfast at our church for 400 people. If our customer used paper instead of china, and organized it buffet-style, the per-person cost would have dropped from $16 to $10. That’s a $2,400 savings, because the event wouldn’t have required wait staff or dishwashers. That’s an important distinction for church leaders, who are always interested in good financial stewardship.” — Marus White, Director of Hospitality, First Baptist Church of Orlando
PUT ON YOUR BUSINESS HAT “In some respects, churches need to operate like businesses. Congregants are like customers: If there’s a coffee shop or café, they’ll show up 20 minutes early versus five minutes late.” — Libby Shoop, Marketing Manager, C&T Design and Equipment Co., Inc.
COMMERCIAL KITCHENS / FOOD SERVICE | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | 7
principal and project architect at Heimsath
warming kitchens and commercial setups.
Architects in Austin, TX. “The commercial
Many are rooted in the facility’s
side is pretty cut and dried; but, if you
intended uses.
want to try to do anything less than a full commercial kitchen, things get murky.” Even so, experts agree that a few across-the-board differences exist between
At Duncan First United Methodist Church (Duncan, OK), a commercial-grade kitchen fuels large-scale ministry. Every Thanksgiving, the church hosts a turkey noodle dinner that feeds about 25 percent of the town’s population. Additionally, the kitchen serves children every day. 8 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | COMMERCIAL KITCHENS / FOOD SERVICE (Photo provided by Churches by Daniels)
“A warming kitchen is one in which the food is primarily prepared elsewhere and assembled or heated up in the kitchen,” explains Darrell Devore, senior
project manager at Churches by Daniels
the homeless, or selling food. “These create
Construction in Broken Arrow, OK.
a situation where there’s public trust in
In contrast, Heimsath Architects’ MacInerney says three kinds of activities
the food, and the county enforces their regulations to keep things safe.”
put a church kitchen on the health department’s radar as a commercial operation: serving a day school, serving
All the bells and whistles Given that many churches will want to serve school and the homeless, or sell food to the public, a commercial kitchen becomes the logical choice. Once a church leader approaches an architect about this type of setup, the topic of vent hoods and exhaust systems will likely come up first. There’s a reason for that: These elements are expensive — and non-negotiable. Generally speaking, the primary purpose of an exhaust hood over a commercial range is to remove the combustion gases of the more powerful burners, according to the experts at Comstock-Castle Stove Co., based in Quincy, IL, which was established in 1838. Removing cooking smells, they say, is a secondary purpose. “A properly sized commercial hood needs to be physically matched to the equipment underneath it, as well as for the BTU rating of that equipment,” advises the company’s website. “Local commercial building codes may vary, but generally the hood must extend a certain distance left to right and front to back over the equipment
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under it.” Additionally, the hood’s fan motor
Moreover, Heimsath Architects’
must remove a certain amount of air (cubic
MacInerney points out that all kitchens
feet per minute) in relation to the BTU rating,
(commercial and warming) are required
as determined by the local commercial
to have an accessible sink and accessible
build code.
counter. “We often do an accessible hand-
Building God’s Way founder Dan Cook says yearly fire suppression costs associated with a type-2 vent hoods
sink to accommodate the sink requirement,” he says. CDH Partners’ Biglow says most
(common in commercial kitchens) range
jurisdictions will dictate that plumbing drain
from $3,000 to $4,000, including insurance
lines in commercial kitchens be routed
and cleaning. Utilities add another $3,000
to a grease trap somewhere outside the
to $4,000, annually.
building. “Typically, these are a minimum
And, as Libby Shoop, marketing
of 1,500-gallon, in-ground tanks designed
manager at Indianapolis-based C&T Design
to trap grease in the water before it gets
and Equipment Co., Inc., price isn’t the only
into municipal sewer lines,” he explains.
consideration related to exhaust systems;
“Although the size of the required trap is
aesthetics matter, too. “Beautiful church
based on the number of meals that
design doesn’t lend itself to ugly exhaust
are planned per week, this can be an
systems, so the vapors that usually escape
expensive item.”
through the roof might need to be rerouted
Commercial kitchens also require
to go out the side of the building,” she
impervious, easy-to-clean finishes on all
explains. “That can add cost.”
surfaces. Plus, many feature warming
Additionally, floor drains, hand sinks,
cabinets, separate storage for dry goods
mop sinks and three-compartment sinks
(food pantries), walk-in coolers, and —
are all standard in commercial kitchens. “A
last, but definitely not least — extensive
commercial kitchen can have three times
electricity components. To this end, some
as many sinks and/or dishwashing systems
design experts recommend planning
as a warming kitchen,” says Building God’s
commercial-grade electrical capacity into
Way’s Cook. “All those sinks — coupled
the kitchen from the beginning, even if a
with a walk-in cooler or freezer — typically
smaller-scale warming kitchen is on the
occupy 500 to 1,000 square feet of
menu at first.
commercial kitchen space.”
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Garden Park Church (Monclova, OH) features a 24,000-square-foot commercial kitchen with a three-compartment sink, ansul hood and commercial refrigerators. (Photo provided by Midwest Church Design Ltd.)
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All about functionality After equipment, design experts focus on
storage temperatures,” she explains. This kind of space planning is simple
one of the most important — and hardest to
in a brand-new commercial kitchen, but
achieve — element of commercial kitchen
not in an existing kitchen. For this reason,
design: flow.
Goldstein’s company’s proprietary filters are
“Where dishes, pots and pans are
designed to absorb heat and water vapor.
washed, where they’re stored, and how they
“Doing so reduces the workload on the
get back to where they’re being used is just
compressor, resulting in lower temperatures
one aspect to consider,” explains Churches
and less energy use,” she points out. “The
by Daniels’ Devore.
filters then release purified moisture back
Other flow elements to consider include: how much room is necessary between work stations, where to position the pantry, and
into the air, as needed, which creates an ideal food storage environment.” Design experts agree it’s easier to meet
how far away the walk-in is (and who you
commercial kitchen design challenges in a
have to pass to get there and back).
brand-new space. Stuart Powell, CEO and
“Flow — or the lack of it — can make or break a busy kitchen,” Devore says. “That’s why a good kitchen designer is essential.” Positioning the cooler is one example
president of Oklahoma-based Cookshack, is one of them. “When I’ve helped churches with these types of projects, I’ve always started with the
of the inherent challenges of flow.
question of how many people they want
According to Pamela Goldstein, vice
to serve. After that, I factor in refrigeration
president of operations at Nevada-based
and sanitation requirements, as well as
Humidity Control Systems — maker of
any special items a church might want
CoolerKING, an all-natural mineral filter
to prepare. If it’s a brand-new building,
— the cooler should be located in an
all this is much easier,” he says. “In an
area as far away as possible from heat-
existing building, there might be square
generating appliances, such as stoves and
footage and plumbing issues that can’t be
dishwashers. “Heat and moisture enters the
overcome.”
cooler when the door is opened, causing the equipment to work harder and use more energy to maintain proper food
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More and more the norm At this point, a commercial church
kitchen might sound like a major
have opted to build commercial kitchens.
undertaking. True, it does represent a
“The size of the church is mostly irrelevant,”
significant investment of time and money.
he adds.
However, it can be an extremely beneficial
Jack Berry, architectural manager
ministry — and even monetary — investment
for Perrysburg, OH-based Midwest Church
in the long term.
Construction, agrees. He says the size of his
For this reason, commercial kitchens are
clients’ churches hasn’t determined what
more common than you might think in the
kind of kitchens they build; ministry has.
house-of-worship market, and not just in
“In some churches, food is a big deal,” he
big churches.
states, simply. “In others, not so much.”
At Building God’s Way, for instance, Cook estimates about 98 percent of church clients
Berry’s firm has designed and built all kinds of food service setups, from lobby
COMMERCIAL KITCHENS / FOOD SERVICE | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | 15
cafés to full-blown commercial-grade
the U.S., and we need to start using
kitchen operations. “Sometimes a church
our facilities beyond just a few days
wants the nicest equipment, but it doesn’t
a week.”
plan to serve the public, so it doesn’t license
One way to do this is by leasing a
the setup as a commercial kitchen,”
commercial kitchen as a revenue stream.
he says.
Cook cites an Oregon church which —
For Cookshack’s Powell, the type of
with a new property tax imposed on it —
kitchen a church client builds is driven
converted its facility to a hotel/conference
almost exclusively by its mission. “A
center. Its commercial-grade kitchen is a
congregation that wants to serve meals
huge component.
to the homeless will certainly want a
“It generates $30,000 to $40,000 a
commercial kitchen,” he says. “A church
month,” Cook says. “Plus, they were
that wants to do potluck meals once a
surprised to see their membership grow by
month will likely opt for a warming setup.”
about 20 percent, all from catering!
At C&T Design and Equipment, Shoop
Florida’s First Baptist Church of Orlando
echoes the concept that ministry objectives
is another church that has achieved
usually drive church kitchen design. “The
enormous success operating its commercial
focus is often on food and fellowship, and
kitchen as a revenue generator. Marcus
the layout usually supports that dynamic,”
White, director of hospitality at the church —
she explains. “For example, we’ve got to
and executive director of Global Association
make sure the tables face each other, and
of Christian Hospitality Professionals
that kitchens face out into the
(GACHP) — manages a full-service banquet
dining areas.”
hall that seats 1,000, plus a 15,000-squarefoot kitchen in which as many as 40 staff
A self-sustaining ministry Churches are also honing in on
and volunteers can be working at once. Outside groups or people aren’t allowed to
the revenue-generating potential of
use the kitchen; everyone must use the staff
commercial kitchens.
in place.
“The financial sustainability component is
“We generate $1.5 million in sales a year
huge,” Building God’s Way’s Cook explains.
from our kitchen setup,” White shares. “That
“Churches are the least-used buildings in
makes ours a self-sustaining ministry.”
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Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Atlanta, GA
18 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | COMMERCIAL KITCHENS / FOOD SERVICE (Photo provided by CDH Partners, Inc.)
The cost of going
offer some ballpark ranges
than 1,000 churchgoers
commercial
based on their collective
at each sitting. “The
projects.
equipment alone ran more
Naturally, the cost to build a commercial
Ernie Archuleta, project
than $600,000,” he says.
kitchen is a top-of-mind
administrator at Ogden,
consideration. That price
UT-based Building God’s
the spectrum, Devore
tag varies greatly based on
Way, says it costs $75,000
helped another church
design. It becomes even
to $100,000 more to build a
remodel its existing kitchen
more difficult to assign a
commercial kitchen than a
into a commercial setup.
construction estimate when
warming kitchen.
Food service space was
a church kitchen is just
Churches by Daniels’
On the other end of
doubled, and all-new
one aspect of larger-scale,
Devore recalls a large
equipment was purchased
campus-wide endeavor.
commercial kitchen project
— except the dishwasher,
Even so, design experts can
designed to feed more
dish carts and racks. That project was completed, turn-key, for about $350,000. For her part, C&T Design and Equipment’s Shoop says the commercial church kitchen projects her team has undertaken range between $100,000 and $200,000. “Most accommodate separate banquet facilities,” she points out. “That estimate also includes exhaust systems and hoods.” While Cookshack’s Powell concedes the price of a commercial kitchen
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MarketPlace
AC O U S T I C S
AC O U S T I C S
Contact Sali T. Williams for rates and art specifications: 800.541.2670 x209 or swilliams@churchexecutive.com
can vary greatly, he typically works with
proponent. Cost-effectiveness tops his list of
budgets between $250,000 and $500,000.
reasons.
As part of a large-scale church
“In my opinion, the cost difference
construction project, CDH Partners’ Biglow
doesn’t warrant building a warming
says a commercial kitchen can add
kitchen, in the long run,” he explains. “In
$100,000 to $250,000 to the bottom line.
fact, it’s sometimes more expensive to run
For a church construction committee,
a warming kitchen than a commercial
those are some big numbers — especially
kitchen because everyone thinks they ‘own’
if a kitchen is just one facility of several on
it, but no one takes responsibility for it. That
the checklist. Even so, design experts agree
kind of use takes its toll on equipment and
that commercial kitchens in churches are
supplies, whereas a commercial kitchen
fantastic investments — not only from a
fosters a sense of accountability.”
n
ministry perspective, but a monetary one. GACHP’s Marcus White is one such
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A FEW WORDS ABOUT
OVENS
As with any kitchen, the oven is the heart of a commercial-grade operation. Because it’s such a big investment — in terms of ministry and money — design experts recommend thinking “outside the box” about some advanced, cost-saving options. One type of oven — the Rational cooking center — has earned a resounding endorsement from Building God’s Way Founder Dan Cook. “[A Rational] is a cost-
efficient option that makes sense to the business heads of church boards,” he explains. “It doesn’t require a big ventilation hood, and it can cook anything. It can even deep fry.” This system also requires fewer staff and commercial kitchen training to operate. “It’s great for situations where a church wants to feed a lot of people the same meal,” Cook points out.
The large commercial kitchen at the Oklahoma Assembly of God Camp in Sparks, OK, is equipped to serve 1,000 people three meals a day. (Photo provided by Churches by Daniels)
For their part, the experts at Quincy, IL-based Comstock-Castle Stove Co., warn churches against settling for a “commercial-type” or “commercial-style” residential range. “There are many of these on the market now, and the price is far higher than real commercial ranges,” the company’s website states. “A real commercial range has far more cooking capacity and more durability, due to heavier materials used.” While commercial-type residential ranges use slightly heavier materials and have more cooking power than their truly residential counterparts, they still have far less cooking power than a commercial range, according to the site. “At a very high price, they satisfy a demand for a little more cooking capacity, as well as giving the appliance a ‘commercial’ look.” Comstock-Castle professionals contend that very few restaurants use commercial-type ranges in their operations because they need the “durability, productivity and price of the real thing.” In the end, the cost of a commercial-type residential range compared to that of a real commercial range isn’t justifiable, they assert. “The savings can easily pay for proper commercial installation, with savings to spare, as well as getting the cooking performance and durability of a real commercial range.” Outside-the-box oven options On a smaller oven/range scale, Marcus White, director of hospitality at Florida’s First Baptist Church of Orlando and executive director of Global Association of Christian Hospitality Professionals (GACHP), also suggests an oven that doesn’t require a fire suppression system. “That small toasting oven you see at Subway is a $7,000 unit,” he says. “It toasts a sandwich in 15 seconds, but it doesn’t require a vent hood.” For his part, Cookshack President and CEO Stuart
Powell — a former pastor — says a smoker is a nice addition to a commercial kitchen. “Using it, a church can cook large pieces of meat to feed a larger volume of people at one time,” he says. “Also, they can do it using a cheaper cut of meat.” His company’s SmartSmoker electric smoker line is designed to be simple to operate, easy to clean, and have a small footprint, all of which lend well to church kitchen use, he points out. One unit he recommends considering is the Model 260, which accommodates up to 550 pounds of chicken, fish, pork, vegetables and beef. For outreach purposes, Powell uses another smoker in the line — the FEC500 — to cook and serve food for Friendship Feast, a Ponca City, OK-based mission, once a month. It smokes up to 500 pounds of pork, 450 pounds of brisket, 150 pounds of ribs, or 70 chickens per load. As for what constitutes “commercial” oven use for an inspector, Eric MacInerney, principal and project architect at Hemisath Architects in Austin, TX, says the International Building Code, or IBC, has some grey area. “For example, I’ve had to put a type-1 commercial hood over a residential range in a tiny kitchen because the inspector felt that the church was a commercial building (which it is) and thus, the kitchen was commercial (which is debatable),” he explains. “The building officials correctly see this as a life safety issue, so there’s very little you can do to argue; it’s best to just quickly find out where they stand and move forward based on that.” MacInerney also points out that just because a church has a commercial kitchen, that doesn’t stipulate it must have a commercial stove — “just commercial venting,” he says. n
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WHAT TO EXPECT IF YOU’RE
INSPECTED Generally speaking, if a church cooks for and sells food to the public, it’s subject to regular inspections from the state health department — once or twice a year, typically. The number of meals served, and how often, are two more factors in the frequency of required inspections. “In some states, churches are exempt from inspections unless X numbers of meals are served per week or month, which bumps up the operation to commercial status,” explains Jack Berry, architectural manager for Perrysburg, OH-based Midwest Church Construction. “A church kitchen isn’t considered a commercial kitchen unless the health department licenses it as such.” But even if that doesn’t happen, many churches with commercial kitchens voluntarily open themselves up to inspection, according to Marcus White, director of hospitality at Florida’s First Baptist Church of Orlando and executive director of Global Association of Christian Hospitality Professionals (GACHP). “After all, many of them serve schools, and often the food is for sale,” he says. “So, it sends a message that the church has nothing to hide.” Libby Shoop, marketing manager at Indianapolis-
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based C&T Design and Equipment Co., Inc., says her firm takes a similar “open-door” approach to inspections when designing church kitchens. “We automatically file for permits, just to be safe,” she explains. “We find it’s best to just expect to be inspected.” In the end, Stuart Powell, CEO and president of Oklahoma-based Cookshack, urges caution and due diligence when it comes to permits and inspections. “The rules are different from state to state,” he points out. “Any church looking at putting in a kitchen should contact its local health inspector to see what the local requirements will be.” n
Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, GA (Photo provided by CDH Partners, Inc.)
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HANDLE WITH CARE Whether they’re subject to regular inspections or not, church kitchens should incorporate a safety program into their operation and follow a Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan. Pamela Goldstein, vice president of operations at Nevada-based Humidity Control Systems — maker of CoolerKING, an all-natural mineral filter — also recommends that a certified food manager, or a volunteer trained in a food safety course, trains food preparation workers in safe food handling practices. In a commercial kitchen, a licensed kitchen manager can perform these duties. “This person has to go through training and ensure that the food handling rules are followed,” says Eric MacInerney, principal and project architect at Heimsath Architects in Austin, TX. “In fact, depending on its planned uses, the church might have to consider hiring a kitchen manager.” Libby Shoop, marketing manager at Indianapolisbased C&T Design and Equipment Co., Inc., agrees. “A commercial kitchen requires a person in charge (PIC) who’s Serv-Safe-certified” — a certification offered through the National Restaurant Association, she says. Stuart Powell, CEO and president of Oklahoma-
based Cookshack, feels the same way about training. He recommends that all volunteers working in church kitchens attend a food safety course, typically offered at no cost by the local health department. Proper equipment operation is another top-of-mind concern for Shoop and Powell. “Training in this area is so huge, especially with heavy-duty equipment,” she continues. “High heats create complex use.” And, as Powell points out, many churches assume everyone knows how to operate certain pieces of equipment. “Take a dishwasher, for example,” he says. “There are a lot of differences between a home-use dishwasher and a commercial one.” In the end, design experts agree the risks inherent to church kitchens are the same as in any kitchen. “They’re dangerous places with lots of sharp and hot things in them,” says Ernest C. (Terry) Biglow, III, AIA, managing principal at CDH Partners, Inc., in Marietta, GA. “Anyone working in a church kitchen should be aware of these dangers and understand how to work in one, safely.”
PREVENTING FOODBORNE ILLNESSES Of all the liabilities that can derail a church’s food ministry, a foodborne illness is one of the quickest. “All you need to do is Google ‘church foodborne illness’ to know that,” asserts Marcus White, director of hospitality at First Baptist Church Orlando and executive director of Global Association of Christian Hospitality Professionals (GACHP). “Even though church kitchens aren’t always required to be inspected, they’re certainly not exempt from lawsuits.” For this reason, risk-averse churches — beyond ensuring food handling training for all church workers, volunteer and paid — are also monitoring how food is stored. 26 | CHURCH EXECUTIVE | COMMERCIAL KITCHENS / FOOD SERVICE
“Commercial refrigeration units have to maintain certain range of temperature and have visible thermometers,” explains Eric MacInerney, principal and project architect at Heimsath Architects in Austin, TX. “And, food has to be dated and discarded appropriately. If the church youth, office or other programs are using the kitchen as well, sometimes this causes a lot of management issues.” When it comes to proper food storage, Pamela Goldstein, vice president of operations at Nevadabased Humidity Control Systems — maker of CoolerKING, an all-natural mineral filter — knows all
The 37,500-square-foot commercial kitchen at Hope Baptist Church in Toledo, OH, includes a three-compartment sink, ansul hood and gas ranges.
(Photo provided by Midwest Church Design Ltd.)
the ins and outs. This filter was designed solely to help create an ideal food storage environment. “Once the filters are in place, a few good things happen,” she says. “Food stays fresher longer, it looks better, it smells better, and it tastes better.” Moreover, the filter neutralizes odors inside the cooler and reduces electrical consumption by as much as 20 percent, thereby extending the life of the equipment. “Coolers are ideal environments for mold growth due to high moisture levels and temperature abuses resulting from frequent entries/exits and repair shut downs,” Goldstein explains. She cites USDA reports that show spoilage bacteria can, in some cases, double their numbers in as little as 20 minutes when excess
moisture and improper temperatures are present. “That’s why it’s important for churches operating commercial kitchens to take the necessary steps to maintain proper temperature and humidity levels inside their cooler — so they can reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses,” she adds. “Many churches organize dinners and meals for fundraising or to feed the homeless and need to make their budgets stretch. The last thing they want is to throw away food that has spoiled unnecessarily or to be spending more money than necessary to run their coolers.” n
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