By: Tony Flood   Date: 6/28/11

According to the 2011 IFIC Foundation Food & Health Survey, the percentage of people following general safe food handling practices is high, yet on the decline.  Even the simplest forms of safe food handling such as “washing hands with soap and water”, “cook to required safe internal temperatures” and even “properly storing leftovers within 2 hours” have been dropping in recent years.  This lets us and other fanatics of food safety know that there is definitely room for improvement on these and other safe food handling practices.

To help bridge the gap and to increase awareness of the basics: clean, separate, cook and chill, the USDA / FSIS and the Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council launched a joint national, multimedia public service campaign called “Food Safe Families”.  The overall goal of the campaign is to help Americans prevent food-related illnesses at home.  This creative campaign will change the way consumers think about food safety and safe food handling and to take a more practical and proactive approach at home to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

The lazy, hazy days of summer are here and if your family is anything like mine, you will cook out, grill and eat more meals outside, which increases the risk of the growth of disease-causing bacteria in food.  Since this is a time when attention to food safety is at its highest, it's a wonderful opportunity to provide Americans with clear and concise information on safe food handling. The “Food Safe Families” has the potential to generate national exposure for food safety and prevention of foodborne illness.

This campaign will be successful if you join in and help us all to adopt the four easy steps when preparing food.

1. Clean: Clean kitchen surfaces, utensils, and hands with soap and water while preparing food.
2. Separate: Separate raw meats from other foods by using different cutting boards.
3. Cook: Cook foods to the right temperature by using a food thermometer.
4. Chill: Chill raw and prepared foods promptly.

The campaign includes English and Spanish-language television, radio, print, and Web advertising, as well as an integrated social media program.  All campaign elements are available at www.foodsafety.gov.

Join us in promoting food safety now and throughout the entire year.  What are you doing to keep food safe?  Let us know at www.foodinsight.org and have a great summer.

Resources:
IFIC Foundation Food Safety Resource Page
Be Food Safe with Win