Rules end big donation to Shepherds of Good Hope

The Shepherds of Good Hope says “inadequate” handling in transporting hundreds of donated pizzas from a Stittsville Little Caesars has prompted it to change its policy on accepting donations of prepared food and it will no longer take “certain prepared food items until we are able to upgrade our current infrastructure.”

The transportation issues were the apparent cause behind the City of Ottawa’s pointing out to Shepherds that regulations state the food must be distributed, transported and handed out at either 4 degrees or lower, or 60 or higher.

The shelter had been taking 80 to 120 pizzas every week from the pizzeria, which fed more than 300 people per sitting, according to a Facebook post by owner and operator Jason Lee.

After Lee’s post was shared on Facebook and posted separately on Reddit, overall reaction was anger toward the city.

“Bureaucracy strikes again,” one commenter wrote. “How idiotic. I can’t wait to hear what the rationale is behind this.”

Ontario’s Health Protection and Promotion Act states that “low-risk food that was previously served in packaging or a container that protects the food from contamination may be reserved if the packaging or container has not been compromised and the food has not been contaminated.”

It is unclear whether pizza is considered “low-risk.”

Ottawa Food Bank executive director Michael Maidment said food safety is “of paramount importance,” adding that the food bank works with donors to ensure all steps are being followed to ensure the food is safe. Maidment said the bank has a fleet of refrigerated trucks that transport food that needs to remain cold. “We all work under the same guidelines.”

When reached for comment, the City of Ottawa highlighted the Ontario regulations, but when asked about what incident prompted the concerns about the donated pizza, the city directed questions to the Shepherds.

Lee declined to speak with the Citizen, but said in his post the call he received notifying him the shelter would no longer accept his donations was “one of the dumbest and most unfortunate calls I could receive.”

A Little Caesars spokesperson said the chain organizes programs to feed people in need of food and is “thrilled” franchisees share those values.