Food Safety Education Month: Overview

International Food Safety Council

September 1999 *

National Food Safety Education Month^SM

FACT SHEET

Overview September marks the fifth annual National Food Safety Education Month^SM, created by the International Food Safety Council, a restaurant and foodservice industry coalition committed to food safety education.
Restaurants, foodservice establishments, supermarkets, hospitality associations, colleges and universities, state and local health departments and USDA extension agents across the country participate in National Food Safety Education Month in a variety of ways each year.
President Clinton's National Food Safety Initiative recognizes and encourages observance of National Food Safety Education Month.

Goals The goals of National Food Safety Education Month are:

To emphasize the importance of food safety education and training among restaurant, foodservice and supermarket managers and employees.

To educate the public to handle and prepare food safely at home, by using the same techniques practiced in professional kitchens.

1999 Theme This year's theme is " Cook It Safely - It's a Matter of Degrees," focusing on the importance of cooking food to the proper internal temperature.
National Co-Chairs Chef Mary Sue Milliken and Chef Susan Feniger are co-chairs of National Food Safety Education Month 1999. Restaurateurs, cookbook authors, television and radio personalities, Milliken and Feniger have made their mark with home cooking of cuisine from all over the world. Hosts of Food Network's popular series Too Hot Tamales and Tamales World Tour, together they own and operate the critically-acclaimed Border Grill in Santa Monica, Ciudad in Los Angeles, and the new Border Grill in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas^* (opening summer 1999).
As co-chairs of the fifth annual National Food Safety Education Month, Chefs Milliken and Feniger will help communicate the restaurant and food industries' commitment to serving safe food to the public. They also will help build public understanding that food safety is a critical part of food preparation in every kitchen, including at home.
Natural teachers, Milliken and Feniger share their passion for bold flavors and strong statements through many media. Prolific writers, they have authored four cookbooks - City Cuisine, Mesa Mexicana, Cantina, and Cooking with Too Hot Tamales. Their fifth book, Mexican Cooking for Dummies, will be published this year. Their foods are also served on United Airlines' flights to major cities in Central America and Mexico.

Education,Training & Awarness Education and training is the foundation of National Food Safety Education Month. Restaurants, foodservice establishments, supermarkets, government and food industry organizations are encouraged to conduct training and awareness programs throughout September to promote safe food handling and preparation to employees. To keep food safety education and training top of mind, the International Food Safety Council promotes food safety to industry and consumer media throughout September and year-round.
Public awareness is also a key goal of National Food Safety Education Month. Government, food industry and consumer organizations are encouraged to communicate their food safety commitment to the public by working with their local media to promote their food safety efforts, and by distributing the "Cook It Safely" consumer brochure available from the International Food Safety Council.
Every September, the International Food Safety Council mounts an extensive public awareness campaign. Through newspaper and magazine articles and television coverage, the National Food Safety Education Month chef chairpersons will help consumers understand the care food professionals take to provide safe food, and will offer the public advice on "cooking it safely"at home.

International Food Safety Council The International Food Safety Council, creator of National Food Safety Education Month, is a restaurant and foodservice industry coalition committed to food safety education.
Formed in 1993 by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Council includes restaurant, foodservice and supermarket professionals who are trained and certified in the ServSafe^® food safety program, as well as manufacturers and suppliers. Members display the Council seal in their establishments to show customers that they are trained in safe food preparation and are committed to serving safe food. For information on ServSafe certification, call 800/809-6032, or visit the Educational Foundation's Web site at www.edfound.org.
The Council is the voice of the restaurant, foodservice and supermarket industry on food safety education and training issues. As a participant in the development of President Clinton's National Food Safety Initiative, the Council is working with government, industry and consumer organizations to enhance food safety through education. A key aspect of the Initiative is education for restaurant and foodservice workers and for the public.
The Council is also a founding partner of the Partnership for Food Safety Education, a coalition of industry, government and consumer organizations, which sponsors the Fight BAC!^TM nationwide education campaign to teach the public to keep food safe from bacteria.

International Food Safety Council Sponsors The International Food Safety Council and National Food Safety Education Month are supported by leading restaurant and foodservice industry suppliers and associations:
Founding Sponsors
American Egg Board
Campbell Soup Company
ECOLAB, Inc.
FoodHandler, A Division of Island Poly
Heinz U.S.A
KatchAll Industries International
Nabisco, Inc., Food Service Company
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
SYSCO Corporation
Tyson Foods, Inc.

Campaign Sponsors
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
Atkins Technical Incorporated
Cargill Foods
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Cooper Instrument Corporation
DAYDOTS International
DermaGuard, Inc.
Farquharson Enterprises, Ltd
GOJO Industries, Inc.
Handgards Inc.
Hobart Corporation
International Foodservice Manufacturing Association (IFMA)
Kimberly-Clark
Lipton Foodservice
National Pork Producers Council
North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers(NAFEM)
Procter & Gamble Distributing Co.
Produce Marketing Association
Reckitt & Colman Commercial Group
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals
US Foodservice, Inc.

^TM/SM International Food Safety Council
* Distributed August 1999 for use in September 1999 as part of the International Food Safety Council's National Food Safety Education Month.

National Food Safety Education Month^SM is sponsored by the International Food Safety Council, a restaurant and foodservice industry coalition committed to food safety education, formed by the National Restaurant Association's Educational Foundation. For more information about enrolling in the Council free of charge, call 800/456-0111.

Webmaster | Hypertext updated by dkb/ear 1999-DEC-23

Overview	September marks the fifth annual National Food Safety Education Month^SM, created by the International Food Safety Council, a restaurant and foodservice industry coalition committed to food safety education. Restaurants, foodservice establishments, supermarkets, hospitality associations, colleges and universities, state and local health departments and USDA extension agents across the country participate in National Food Safety Education Month in a variety of ways each year. President Clinton's National Food Safety Initiative recognizes and encourages observance of National Food Safety Education Month.
Goals	The goals of National Food Safety Education Month are: To emphasize the importance of food safety education and training among restaurant, foodservice and supermarket managers and employees. To educate the public to handle and prepare food safely at home, by using the same techniques practiced in professional kitchens.
1999 Theme	This year's theme is " Cook It Safely - It's a Matter of Degrees," focusing on the importance of cooking food to the proper internal temperature.
National Co-Chairs	Chef Mary Sue Milliken and Chef Susan Feniger are co-chairs of National Food Safety Education Month 1999. Restaurateurs, cookbook authors, television and radio personalities, Milliken and Feniger have made their mark with home cooking of cuisine from all over the world. Hosts of Food Network's popular series Too Hot Tamales and Tamales World Tour, together they own and operate the critically-acclaimed Border Grill in Santa Monica, Ciudad in Los Angeles, and the new Border Grill in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas^* (opening summer 1999). As co-chairs of the fifth annual National Food Safety Education Month, Chefs Milliken and Feniger will help communicate the restaurant and food industries' commitment to serving safe food to the public. They also will help build public understanding that food safety is a critical part of food preparation in every kitchen, including at home. Natural teachers, Milliken and Feniger share their passion for bold flavors and strong statements through many media. Prolific writers, they have authored four cookbooks - City Cuisine, Mesa Mexicana, Cantina, and Cooking with Too Hot Tamales. Their fifth book, Mexican Cooking for Dummies, will be published this year. Their foods are also served on United Airlines' flights to major cities in Central America and Mexico.
Education,Training & Awarness	Education and training is the foundation of National Food Safety Education Month. Restaurants, foodservice establishments, supermarkets, government and food industry organizations are encouraged to conduct training and awareness programs throughout September to promote safe food handling and preparation to employees. To keep food safety education and training top of mind, the International Food Safety Council promotes food safety to industry and consumer media throughout September and year-round. Public awareness is also a key goal of National Food Safety Education Month. Government, food industry and consumer organizations are encouraged to communicate their food safety commitment to the public by working with their local media to promote their food safety efforts, and by distributing the "Cook It Safely" consumer brochure available from the International Food Safety Council. Every September, the International Food Safety Council mounts an extensive public awareness campaign. Through newspaper and magazine articles and television coverage, the National Food Safety Education Month chef chairpersons will help consumers understand the care food professionals take to provide safe food, and will offer the public advice on "cooking it safely"at home.
International Food Safety Council	The International Food Safety Council, creator of National Food Safety Education Month, is a restaurant and foodservice industry coalition committed to food safety education. Formed in 1993 by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Council includes restaurant, foodservice and supermarket professionals who are trained and certified in the ServSafe^® food safety program, as well as manufacturers and suppliers. Members display the Council seal in their establishments to show customers that they are trained in safe food preparation and are committed to serving safe food. For information on ServSafe certification, call 800/809-6032, or visit the Educational Foundation's Web site at www.edfound.org. The Council is the voice of the restaurant, foodservice and supermarket industry on food safety education and training issues. As a participant in the development of President Clinton's National Food Safety Initiative, the Council is working with government, industry and consumer organizations to enhance food safety through education. A key aspect of the Initiative is education for restaurant and foodservice workers and for the public. The Council is also a founding partner of the Partnership for Food Safety Education, a coalition of industry, government and consumer organizations, which sponsors the Fight BAC!^TM nationwide education campaign to teach the public to keep food safe from bacteria.
International Food Safety Council Sponsors	The International Food Safety Council and National Food Safety Education Month are supported by leading restaurant and foodservice industry suppliers and associations: Founding Sponsors American Egg Board Campbell Soup Company ECOLAB, Inc. FoodHandler, A Division of Island Poly Heinz U.S.A KatchAll Industries International Nabisco, Inc., Food Service Company National Cattlemen's Beef Association SYSCO Corporation Tyson Foods, Inc. Campaign Sponsors Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Atkins Technical Incorporated Cargill Foods Colgate-Palmolive Company Cooper Instrument Corporation DAYDOTS International DermaGuard, Inc. Farquharson Enterprises, Ltd GOJO Industries, Inc. Handgards Inc. Hobart Corporation International Foodservice Manufacturing Association (IFMA) Kimberly-Clark Lipton Foodservice National Pork Producers Council North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers(NAFEM) Procter & Gamble Distributing Co. Produce Marketing Association Reckitt & Colman Commercial Group SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals US Foodservice, Inc.