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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, May 9, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 9, 2005 Since You Asked Strict rules govern recycling of foods At Home Town Buffet and other places like it, what do they do with their leftover food at the end of the day? Do their employees get to take it home with them? Do they give it to the needy, like the mission? Do they throw it out? Or ... ? — Tom C., Eagle Point The answer to this question varies from restaurant to restaurant, Tom. At Medford’s Home Town Buffet, workers generally discard food remaining in the restaurant’s serving bars at the end of the day. That’s primarily out of concern for customer satisfaction, said Kokaun Foo, the restaurant’s general manager. People who arrive for lunch on Thursday don’t want Wednesday’s leftovers, he said. "We don’t save it for the next day," he said. In addition, health regulations generally prohibit reusing food that has been exposed for public consumption, said Gary Stevens, Jackson County Environmental Health Services manager. Advertisement Some restaurants and grocery stores are able to recycle leftover food to agencies that deliver it to food pantries and other charitable venues. The ACCESS Inc. Food Rescue program in Medford and the Food for the People in Ashland are two examples. Recycled foods must be maintained according to strict standards for storage, temperature and proper handling, Stevens indicated. Restaurants as large as Home Town Buffet don’t have much of a problem with leftovers, Foo noted. Balancing what they prepare with what customers will eat is a fine art. "We make food in large quantities, but we cook it in small batches," Foo said. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s