Food bank raises quality concerns again about food from federal program
Officials say budget cuts mean less variety, product
MANCHESTER, N.H. —
Officials with the New Hampshire Food Bank are once again expressing concerns about the quality of the food being provided through a federal program aimed at helping families during the pandemic.
For the second time in nearly three months, the Food Bank is concerned about food boxes being sent through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm to Families program put in place earlier in the pandemic.
"We are primarily distributing them through mobile food pantries, but we are also working with some of the housing authorities to get food to their residents," said Nancy Mellitt, of the Food Bank.
In November, food bank staff members said the food was low-quality fruit, vegetables and pork, such as scrapple.
"We were a little disappointed with that protein," Mellitt said. "Some of the produce, the onions, had a very pungent odor, so it just wasn't the highest quality."
Even after a new distributor was put in place, Mellitt said the Food Bank is dealing with similar problems.
"The funding was reduced from the USDA, so there is less product in the boxes to begin with," she said.
Food Bank staff members said some of the proteins being given out are very high in sodium, and there is not much variety.
"We are seeing a lot of the same people on a weekly basis, so we would like to be distributing some different product," Mellitt said.
New Hampshire's congressional delegation sent a letter to the secretary of agriculture expressing their concerns. U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen told New 9, in part: "I will keep pushing them to get to the bottom of these issues that have affected the quality of food products. Every effort must be made to ensure Granite State families have the assistance they need to put food on the table."
