Food Delivery Safety

"Mail-order food, subscription meal kits, home-delivered groceries, and restaurant deliveries can be convenient. Make sure food safety is part of the package, too. Home-delivered food, like all food, must be handled properly to prevent food poisoning.

Handling delivered food safely is important for everyone, but especially if you are buying food for someone who is more likely to get food poisoning:

• adults aged 65 and older,
• children younger than age 5,
• people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness (weakened immune system), and
• pregnant people.

Meal Kits and Other Shipped Food

Food shipped to your home needs to stay at a safe temperature to prevent the growth of germs that could make you sick. This includes mail-order food and subscription meal kits.

Before Ordering Food for Delivery

Ask questions first. Research companies and call customer service to ask about food safety practices.

Ask how the company responds if food is delivered at an unsafe temperature or is otherwise not safe to eat. Find out if the company provides information with each shipment or delivery on safe handling and preparation of food, including cooking temperatures.

Safe Food Delivery and Receipt

Arrange for delivery when someone is at home so perishable foods such as meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, or dairy can be quickly stored in the refrigerator or freezer instead of being left outside until someone is home. If you can’t be there in person, see if a neighbor can store the food until you return.

Find a safe space for delivery if no one can be at home when food arrives. Food should be delivered to a cool, shaded, and secure location where pests and rodents won’t be able to get it. Let the company know where you would like them to leave your box.

Examine the items and packaging to ensure they are intact.

• Make sure the company used insulated packaging and materials such as dry ice or frozen gel packs to keep perishable food cold in transit.
• Look for labels that say “Keep Refrigerated” or “Keep Frozen” if you ordered perishable food.

Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of perishable food when it arrives.

• Perishable food that has been shipped should arrive frozen, partially frozen with ice crystals still visible, or at least as cold as it would be in a refrigerator (40°F or below). Even if a perishable food product is smoked, cured, vacuum-packed, or fully cooked, it still must be kept cold.

Store perishable food at a safe temperature. After you make sure perishable food was delivered at a safe temperature (40°F or below), store it in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible until you are ready to prepare it.

Notify the company if food arrives above 40°F. If food arrives above 40°F, don’t eat it, or even taste it, to see if it is safe. Food can be unsafe and still taste, look, and smell OK. When in doubt, throw it out..."
Food delivery