For more information, call: _______________ Date: _______________ NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION MONTHSM 2001 September Promotion Emphasizes "Be Cool—Chill Out! Refrigerate Promptly" (City, State) September is National Food Safety Education MonthSM (NFSEM), an annual observance to focus attention on the importance of safe food handling and preparation in both home and commercial kitchens. Created by the foodservice industry in 1995, NFSEM is widely supported by federal, state, and local government agencies; the food industry; and consumer organizations. Be Cool—Chill Out! Refrigerate Promptly is this year's theme for NFSEM. Harmful bacteria grow most rapidly in the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 °F—so it’s important to keep food out of this temperature range. In addition, cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from growing; therefore, refrigerating food quickly is key! Here are some helpful tips for keeping cold food cold: Make sure the temperature in the refrigerator is 40 °F or below and 0 °F or below in the freezer. Use a refrigerator/freezer thermometer to check the temperature. Don't overfill the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to help keep food safe. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food, and leftovers within 2 hours of purchase or preparation, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F. Thaw food in the refrigerator. For quick thawing, submerge in cold water in airtight packaging, or thaw in the microwave, and cook the food immediately. Divide large quantities of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator. Marinate food in the refrigerator. When transporting food, place cold food in a cooler with a cold source such as ice or commercial freezing gels. Keep the cooler in the coolest part of your car, rather than in a hot trunk. To learn more about safe food handling, come to / call (NAME AND LOCATION OF EVENT / NAME AND TELEPHONE OF ORGANIZATION) for (ACTIVITIES AND / OR MATERIALS).

^SM International Food Safety Council

^* Distributed August 2001 for use in September 2001 as part of the International Food Safety Council's National Food Safety Education Month.