KING COUNTY, WA - Safe food for everyone, including homeless people, is a public health priority. Everyone deserves safe food.

Several groups in downtown Seattle which operate feeding programs for the homeless have had difficulty complying with provisions of the Food Code. Public Health - Seattle & King County has and will continue to help them address these issues and meet the standards expected of everyone serving food to the public.

"We want to do everything that we can to assure that food provided to homeless people is safe for eating," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "And we invite all groups involved with feeding the homeless in Seattle to come together with us to find ways to resolve these food safety issues."

For a variety of reasons -- including chronic disease, poor access to health care, and drug and alcohol abuse -- homeless people may be at increased risk of severe health consequences if exposed to contaminated food.

When improperly prepared or stored, food can transmit infectious organisms (such as salmonella, hepatitis, and e. coli) and biologic toxins. Public health departments across the country (and in Seattle) have documented infections among homeless persons resulting from food is handled unsafely in shelters and at street feeding programs. All of these infections and subsequent illness could have been avoided had the food been prepared and stored properly.

"We are willing to waive permit fees and provide as much technical assistance and coordination as possible to help these groups bring their operations up to standards for food safety, but we will not lower food safety standards for anyone," Plough said. "Homeless people, like everyone else, deserve safe food."