The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) gave assurances that the food being served at the Walang Gutom Kitchen in Pasay City is safe for consumption by individuals experiencing involuntary hunger.
DSWD Social Technology Bureau (STB) Officer-in-Charge Division Chief Jason Oabel said the kitchen strictly implements a “first in, first out” system to ensure that donated food from private sector-partners will be served before its expiry date and will not cause harm to the beneficiaries.
Oabel, in a media forum, said: “First of all, what we are looking at is the expiration because that is very important. Since these are foods, we strictly implement the first in, first out so that we can ensure that the food we provide will not harm our compatriots who avail the Walang Gutom Kitchen service.”
The division chief said allergen information is also being collected and recorded to avoid any incident such as allergic reaction. “Even the allergens are checked and such information is taken into consideration,” the official said.
The agency is accepting any food donation as long as the products are clean, safe to consume, and not discarded food or “pagpag,” the official further said. Oabel said that aside from packed food, the kitchen also accepts vegetables and other ingredients that can be used for cooking.