October 9, 2001 |
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year 76 million people fall sick from foodborne illness: 325,000 of them are hospitalized, and 5,000 die. In response to this public health concern, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have teamed up to create a first-of-its-kind science program to teach students about food safety.
Science and Our Food Supply is the largest public education program that informs middle level and high school students about all aspects of food safety, from farm to table.
At a press conference slated for October 16, representatives from the FDA and NSTA will brief reporters about the program and answer questions. Teachers and students will also demonstrate hands-on activities from the program, showcasing how pasteurization and refrigeration can make foods safe to eat and how easily bacteria can spread.
Press conference to release Science and Our Food Supply
Tuesday, October 16, 2001 @ 2 p.m.
National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC
Holeman Lounge
Scheduled to Attend:
Bernard Schwetz, D.V.M., Acting Principal Deputy Commissioner, FDA
Joe Levitt, Director, Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, FDA
Gerald Wheeler, Executive Director, NSTA
Wendell Mohling, Associate Executive Director, NSTA
Jay Parfitt, science teacher, Baltimore City Schools, Baltimore, MD
Bradley Staats, science teacher, New London High School, New London, WI
Middle level and high school students
For additional information, contact Laura Fox on (202) 260-0574.
Food Safety Initiative Staff E-mail: chall@cfsan.fda.gov |
Office Number: (202) 260-8920 · FAX (202) 260-9653 CFSAN Web site: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/ |
October 16, 2001: HHS/FDA & NSTA Use Science to Educate Students about Food Safety and Foodborne Illness
Hypertext updated by bap/dms 2001-NOV-02