Food safety educator

6 Pages·1997·0.46 MB·English

Historic, Archive Document
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

Your consumer education connection
l
S a f e t y
♦
FUgu-
Volume 2, No. 4 1997
Qight BAC!"
With a multi-faceted media program and a major Washing¬ • A supermarket kit: with bag stuffers, shelf labels and
ton kick-off, a new food safety consumer education campaign camera-ready art, this kit will let supermarkets join the
was launched this fall by the Partnership for Food Safety food safety campaign trail.
Education. According to Lilygren, the campaign focuses on four
The eye-catching Fight BAC!" cartoon character teams up
critical messages:
with four critical food safety education messages presented
• Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often.
graphically to teach consumers about safe food handling.
According to Susan Conley of USDA’s Food Safety and • Separate: Don't cross-contaminate.
Inspection Service, “what makes this campaign unique is that • Cook: Cook to proper temperatures.
it really is a public/private partnership. Industry, consumer
• Chill: Refrigerate promptly.
groups, government agencies, health organizations—all of us
are working together to make this The safe food handling messages
campaign a reality.” are graphically depicted. Lilygren
In addition, Dagmar Farr of the explained, to help consumers
Food Marketing Institute noted visualize the actions that need to be
that "this campaign takes the basic taken. The constant use and repeti¬
food safety messages and presents tion of these graphics, along with
them in a whole new way. With the Fight BAC! character, will allow
this campaign, we have the tools all campaign cooperators to rein¬
to start changing people's food force these key concepts and raise
handling behavior.” consumer awareness.
A highlight of the campaign is a To monitor the effectiveness of
30-second animated public sendee the campaign, the national polling
announcement (PSA) that features company Yankelovich conducted a
the Fight BAC!"1 character. The national food safety survey in
PSA will be distributed to television September. That survey will be
stations nationwide. followed up later to assess the
“All of the print campaign campaign’s impact.
materials will be designed so that Industry groups are providing
our non-profit cooperators can just more than $500,000 in funding
copy them and go,” according to while other cooperators are provid¬
Sara Lilygren of the American Meat ing printing and other services, as
Institute. Key materials include: well as distribution support. "We’re always looking for new
partners," Farr said, “and encourage groups to contact us.”
• A Fight BAC! brochure with food safety basics for
Non-profit health, education and civic groups can use the
consumers.
materials free of charge. Organizations interested in using the
• A community action kit: designed for food safety Fight BAC!" cartoon character in promotion or sales of
educators, the kit is camera ready. Included are a press products will be required to pay a fee. For more information,
release, campaign ideas, logos and brochure. ( Note: The call Lisa Gulledge of Hill and Knowleton at 202/944-5193.
community action kit will be mailed to all Food Safety For up-to-date information about the campaign, check the
Educator subscribers.) web site: www.fightbac.org. %
United States Department of Agriculture Dianne Durant, editor Phone: [phone]
Food Safety and Inspection Service Liz Lapping, assistant editor FAX: [phone]
u SDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline Heads for the Holidays
A
the Hotline staff heads for the fat and cholesterol are also present, with safely without it. Replenish the grill
holidays, their busiest time of the year, most of the fat being in the skin. A three with approximately 15 briquettes every
they've pulled together some fascinating ounce serving of baked turkey breast hour. The turkey is done when a meat
and useful facts for their holiday with skin has 160 calories, 6 grams of thermometer in the inner thigh reaches
package of feature stories—available on fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol and 24 180 degrees F.
the Internet (www.usda.gov/fsis) and grams of protein. Without skin: 120 • When you smoke, you are using both
through FastFax (1-800-238-8281). Here calories, 1 gram of fat, 55 milligrams of heat and moisture to cook your food.
are some highlights: cholesterol and 26 grams of protein. So, be sure to add liquid to the drip pan.
Be aware that some smokers have a
Do you know? Safe Handling Tips: built-in temperature indicator. If yours
doesn't, place an appliance thermometer
Where does the name “turkey ” come How long can you keep turkey in the
on the food rack to monitor the air
from? fridye or freezer?
temperature.
Now, a lot of people may think they Fresh whole turkey and fresh turkey
When the thermometer reaches 225
know what—or who—a turkey is. But to parts should be cooked (or frozen)
to 300 degrees F, place the turkey on the
really be in the know, take a look at this. within one to two days of purchase. A
rack and quickly replace the cover. As
The name turkey was originally applied whole turkey (uncooked) can be frozen
with grilling, we recommend that you
to an African bird (now known as the for up to 12 months before quality
don’t stuff the turkey. Because you’re
guinea fowl) which was believed to have gradually declines.
cooking at a low temperature, it can
come from Turkey. When the Europeans
take too long for heat to reach the
stumbled on the American turkey, they When is it “done?”
stuffing.
thought it was the same bird—so they For tenderness and doneness, the
Smoking takes longer than grilling,
named it “turkey.” internal temperature, as registered on a
so follow the manufacturer’s estimated
meat thermometer, must reach a
cooking times. Add fresh charcoal every
How much turkey do we eat a year? minimum of
hour to maintain temperature of 225 to
This will amaze you. In 1996, it was 180 degrees F in the innermost part
300 degrees F and ensure smoke. Also
estimated that we each ate almost 15 of the thigh before removing the turkey
add liquid to the water pan as needed. As
pounds of turkey. Clearly, turkey is from the oven. For optimum safety and
with grilling, the turkey is done when a
heading for our dinner plates more uniform doneness, we recommend
meat thermometer inserted into the
often than just the holidays. cooking stuffing outside the bird. If you
inner thigh reaches 180 degrees F.
do stuff it, the center of the stuffing
Which is better—a “hen” turkey or a must reach 165 degrees F before you
How long can you keep cooked turkey?
“tom ”? remove it from the bird.
Cooked turkey and cooked turkey dishes
This is an equal opportunity world. And
can be kept in the refrigator for three to
the answer to this question is—they’re How about safe grilling and smoking?
four days. After that, freeze them or
equally good! Actually, the designation More and more people are heading
pitch them. Cooked turkey will main¬
of “hen” (female) or “tom" (male) is outdoors to cook the turkey, so it is
tain quality in the freezer for four
optional on the label and is an indica¬ important to know how to do it safely.
months, turkey dishes for four to six
tion of size. Toms are larger. • When you grill, remember that
months. #
cooking times vary, depending on many
What's the nutrient content of turkey? factors, including the size of the turkey
There’s a lot of good news here. Turkey and the distance from the coals. We
provides a significant amount of protein recommend that you don’t stuff the
as well as other nutrients. Fat, saturated turkey. It will cook more evenly and
USDA's MEAT and POULTRY
The Hotline, part of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, provides
accurate, up-to-date information to callers on safe food handling and the
prevention of foodborne illness. Home economists, registered dietitians and
food technologists staff this public health service.
1 800 535-4555
- -
2 The Food Safety Educator
agencies involved in the effort include
ational Food Safety Educator’s
USDA’s Cooperative State Research,
Network (EdNet) Education and Extension Service as well
as Agricultural Research Service. Also
participating are the Centers for Disease
EdNet is a new electronic network there are so many groups and organiza¬
Control and Prevention.
allowing food safety educators around tions around the country involved in
EdNet will be up and running later
the country to connect on a daily basis. food safety education.
this fall. To join EdNet, email your
While there have always been Food safety educators can be found
name, address and phone number to:
informal contacts between various in federal, state and local food agencies;
[email protected]. Or, call
groups and organizations, there has not colleges and universities; health and
Robyn Brown Douglas at 202/205-2857.
been a system to connect the many consumer organizations, and profes¬
Please be sure to state whether your
interested parties, according to EdNet sional and trade organizations.
interest is primarily consumer/health
originators Susan Conley of USDA and The goal of EdNet is to provide a
professional education or retail/food
Carole Schiffman of the Food and Drug forum where all parties interested in
service education. %
Administration (FDA). Often, they note, food safety education can communicate
it has been the “professional grapevine" and share information easily on an
that has connected educators. Now, ongoing basis. To begin, EdNet will be a
EdNet will be the electronic grapevine. direct e-mail communication from the Operation RISK
One reason the "grapevine” is so federal government to subscribers.
important, explained Schiffman, is that In addition to FSIS and FDA, federal
Produced by Michigan State University
Extension, this is a food safety education
program for kids in grades 3 through 5,
but with components that make it easily
A Hot Health Web Site
adaptable—even to adults.
Through the Operation RISK
curriculum, kids assume the role of
Launched last April, healthfinder™ is a free detectives as they work through the
“gateway" World Wide Web site serving as a point program with “fun-to-solve cases and
of entry to a broad range of consumer health missions to complete at home with an
information resources produced by the federal adult.”
government and its many partners. While many It’s a multi-media program that has
web sites can be a frustrating maze of deadends it all:
and contortions, this one in fact is easy to use and • Video tape: "What You Can’t See
actually delivers the goods. Can Hurt You" introduces the
healthfinder'M serves as a health "search relationship between bacteria and
engine.” Enter the item you're looking for, and it will find it for you. It foodborne illness.
reduces information overload from commercial or poor quality sources and
• Audio tape: “The Handwashing
helps consumers locate the health information they need—or health profes¬
Rap" is a useful tool for getting the
sionals.
kids to wash their hands for 20
The healthfinder site at http://www.healthfinder.gov features a searchable
seconds.
index and locator aids for news, publications, online journals, support and self-
The curriculum kit also comes with
help groups, online discussions and toll-free numbers.
a teacher guide, learning activities and
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is developing this site
posters. The cost is $60.
in collaboration with other federal agencies that have health communication
In addition, a computer game called
responsibilities. Individual agencies and organizations maintain their own
"Risk Raiders” allows student detectives
sites—healthfinder just helps people get there.
to practice food safety behaviors as they
As part of its partnership endeavor, healthfinder will be including links to
solve three food-related missions. The
information offerings of the public health and overall health community
cost is $30. For more information
ranging from commercial online services to health maintanance organizations.
contact:
This also applies to local and state governments offering health information
Pat Hammerschmidt
over the Internet—and whose sites can be linked through healthfinder.
Extension Home Economics
To join the project, or for more information, contact Dr. Mary Jo Deering at
103 Human Ecology
202/260-2652 or David Baker at 202/401-0731. They are with the U.S. Depart¬
Michigan State University
ment of Health and Human Services—Office of Disease Prevention and Health
East Lansing, MI 48824-1030
Promotion. •
phone: [phone]
fax: [phone] •
Volume 2, No. 4 1997 3
news hriefs V
4 Child Care:
n n Case You’ve
' Making Food
Missed It—
tesP0 0s® Healthy & Safe
,de*
Check Out the tea1
This FREE 80-plus-page publication,
1997 FDA
"Making Food Healthy and Safe,” does a
Food Code great job of providing clear and easy- to-
use information for child care providers.
Graphically presented, with lots of
The code offers model requirements
charts and tips, the publication man¬
for states and jurisdictions with respon¬
ages to highlight key information while
sibility for retail food inspection.
also covering topics in depth.
The 1997 version is the third edition
Topics include safe food handling
since FDA consolidated and signifi¬
and sanitation as well as nutritional
cantly revised the code in 1993. To gain
guidelines for infants and young
more uniform adoption, FDA has been
children. There’s a menu planning
working with the Conference for Food
checklist, snack ideas and tips for
Protection as well as other organiza¬
Arabic Chinese ENGLISH serving food, as well as teaching chil¬
tions and industry groups to come up
with consensus recommendations. French German Italian dren about food.
This pub was produced by the
A new element to the 1997 code is a
PORTUGUESE
Spanish Maternal and Child Health Bureau of
subpart addressing special requirements
the U.S. Department of Health and
for highly susceptible populations.
Believe it or not, you can get “the Human Services. It is based on the
While many of these provisions existed
golden rules of safe food preparation" in “National Health and Safe Performance
in previous codes, this is the first time
all of these languages. The World Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home
FDA has clearly delineated safeguards
Health Organization (WHO) developed Child Care Programs.”
for people who face increased risks from
the rules and publishes them as The new pub and the performance
foodborne illness including the elderly,
wallcharts—and they are available free. standards are available free from:
immune compromised—especially
The rules include advice about
those in nursing homes and hospitals— National Maternal and Child Health
cooking thoroughly, safe food storage,
and preschool children in day care. Clearinghouse
re-heating of cooked foods,
Four-color, spiral-bound copies of 2070 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 450
handwashing and cross-contamination.
the 400 page 1997 FDA Food Code are Vienna, VA 22182-2536
(Temperatures are in Celcius, so you'll
available from the National Technical Fax: [phone] •
need to modify.)
Information Center for $35 each.
WHO also has advice for food
Call 800/553-6847. The code is also
handlers called “Hygiene in Food Coming in December: 12th
available on disc for $35 and on CD-rom
Service and Mass Catering Establish¬
for $60. • National Conference on
ments.” It’s available as a leaflet or
Chronic Disease Prevention
wallchart. It comes in Arabic, Chinese,
USDA’s Food Safety and Consumer
English, French, Russian and Spanish. and Control
Education Staff
For copies, write:
Food Safety Unit The 1997 conference, to be held here
WHO in Washington, D.C., Dec. 3-5, will focus
1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland on approaches for reducing the health
The Educator is produced by the Food Fax: [phone] and economic burden of chronic disease.
Safety and Consumer Education Staff of For Internet access, check out the It’s co-sponsored by the Centers for
FSIS. For more than 15years, staff
WHO web site: http://www.who.ch. Disease Control and Prevention and the
educators have been working coopera¬
There’s a lot of interesting information Association of State and Territorial
tively with researchers, scientists, and
marketing and design experts to produce there. Other WHO publications, food Chronic Disease Program Directors. For
educational materials including print, video safety reports and fact sheets as well as registration information, cal!
and teleconferencing services. news releases are also posted. # 1-800-772-8232. •
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin,
sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs and marital or familial status, (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with
disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA’s TARGET Center at [phone] (voice and TDD)..
To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250, or call 1-800-245-6340
(voice) or [phone] (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer.
4 The Food Safety Educator