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Food

FoodFood


There is very limited legal risk to donate food. Adopted on October 1, 1996, the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects businesses from civil and criminal liability when donating food to non-profit organizations. For more information visit the Food Donation Connection - follow the link for "Legal Liabilities".

Disposal Information

1) Food Recovery

Businesses may donate excess prepared perishable, non-perishable and other food products that are fit for human consumption to food kitchens. Many food shelves accept surplus or salvaged packaged food that has not expired.

The organizations listed below accept food donations, and some also accept personal care and household items. Call first for a list of items currently accepted. For more information, visit the Emergency Food Shelf Network online.

2) Food to Animals

Feeding waste food to livestock is a viable option for recycling food waste. Businesses that collect food waste from other businesses to feed to livestock must obtain the appropriate permits from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. Call (651) 296-2942 for information.

Exempt Materials Permit Holders - Accepts Non-Meat Food By-Products

Food waste recyclers with exempt material permits can only take non-meat food by-products. They typically serve industries such as snack food manufacturers, dairies and cereal manufacturers.

Garbage Feeder Permit Holders - Accepts Food Waste Containing Meat

Food recyclers with garbage feeder permits are licensed to accept food waste that contains meat or has had contact with meat. These permitted food waste recyclers typically accept food waste from grocers, hospitals, restaurants and cafeterias. No grease is accepted (see Grease and Cooking Oil).

Garbage Feeder Permit Holders - Accepts Food Waste Containing Meat

Some animal feed manufacturers accept food waste to process into animal feed.

3) Food and Food-Soiled Paper Composting

Compost facilities accept food waste along with food-soiled paper products to produce soil amendments.

A growing area is source-separated organics composting (SSO). SSO involves collecting and separating organic materials generated at commercial, industrial and institutional facilities. Through source separation, materials such as food processing residues, garden wastes and soiled and non-recyclable paper can yield a high quality, marketable compost with minimal contamination levels. For more information on SSO, contact your waste hauler or county environmental office to inquire about pilot projects in your area.

More Information

For more information on food waste management, visit How to Keep Food Waste Out of the Trash. Additional information is available by contacting your county environmental office, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency at (651) 296-6300, or the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) at (612) 624-1300.

 

Food Recovery Facilities

 

For more information on each facility, including a list of other items accepted, click on the facility name.

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Facility Notes Services
1
Barthold Recycling, Inc.
St. Francis, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
763-444-7447

2
CreekSide Soils
1500 Adams St SE
Hutchinson, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
320-587-6762

3
Dalroy Stachowski/No Rest Ranch
2185 Cty Rd 6 NW
Cambridge, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
763-689-4615

4
Emergency Food Shelf Network
8501 54th Avenue North
New Hope, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
763-450-3860

5
Emergency Food Shelf Network - All Seasons Food Rescue
8501 54th Avenue North
New Hope, MN, 55428
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
763-450-3860

6
Endres Processing LLC
13420 Courthouse Blvd
Rosemount, MN, 55068
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
651-438-3113

7
Greater Lake Country Food Bank
554 8th Ave N
Minneapolis, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
612-340-9694

8
Hunger Solutions Minnesota
3585 Lexington Ave N, Suite 159
Arden Hills, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
651-486-9860

9
John Wayne Wood
33703 Jarvais St
Princeton, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
763-633-9663

10
Northfield Community Action Center
1651 Jefferson Pkwy, Suite HS-200
Northfield, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
507-664-3550

11
ReConserve of Minnesota
2635 28th Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
612-729-7311

12
Resource Recovery Technologies - Rosemount
16454 Blaine Ave
Rosemount, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
651-423-4401

13
Ries Farm
17205 230th St E
Hastings, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
651-437-5140

14
Robinson Farms
8818 185th Ave.
Oak Park, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
302-968-6662

15
Sabathani Community Center
310 38th St E
Minneapolis, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
612-821-2303

16
Second Harvest Farms, Inc.
PO Box 147
Cedar, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
763-434-9044

17
Second Harvest Heartland
1140 Gervais Ave
St. Paul, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
651-484-5117

18
Second Harvest Heartland - Minneapolis Service Center
3100 California St
Minneapolis, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
651-209-7980

19
Tom Schulze Farms
11661 225th Ave NW
Elk River, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
763-441-4667

20
Twelve Baskets (Program of Second Harvest Heartland)
1140 Gervais Ave
St. Paul, MN
United States
See map: Google Maps
p:
651-209-7921

Select materials or services to see facilities.