FDA: Kimberly Rawlings (301) 436-2288
FSIS: Steven Cohen (202) 720-9113

Research Shows Improvements In Safe Food Handling By Consumers

ORLANDO, Sept. 18, 2002—Consumers continue to improve their food safety practices, according to research findings released today by the Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the National Conference for Food Safety Educators. The results of the 2001 Food Safety Survey, a nationwide telephone survey of 4,500 adult consumers, reveal that the dramatic improvement in consumer food safety practices that occurred between 1993 and 1998 continued between 1998 and 2001.

FIGHT BAC!® FOOD SAFETY GUIDELINES Clean – Clean your thermometer after using it. Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters on hand. Wash your hands often.   Separate – Separate raw and cooked/ready-to-eat food to prevent cross-contamination.   Cook – Cook to a safe internal temperature. Ground beef should be cooked to 160 °F.   Chill – At home, store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer within 2 hours of taking food off the grill. On hot days above 90 °F refrigerate or freeze within 1 hour. Make sure the temperature is 40 °F or below and 0 °F or below in the freezer. Check the temperature occasionally with a refrigerator/freezer thermometer.

In 2001, most consumers reported food handling practices that were consistent with the four basic food safety messages FSIS and FDA have been stressing since 1997: clean, separate, cook and chill. In particular, consumers reported using improved food handling practices that reduce cross-contamination after contact with raw fish, meat, or chicken. The number of consumers eating pink hamburger, steak tartar, and raw eggs stayed relatively level. However, more people reported eating raw clams, oysters, or fish in 2001 than in 1998.

“The Food Safety Survey provides evidence to support continued public health efforts to educate consumers about safe food handling practices to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness,” said Dr. Lester Crawford, FDA Deputy Commissioner.

Also released today are the findings from a USDA study reviewing a variety of research that measured changes in consumer knowledge and safe food handling practices since the implementation of the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) Systems final rule in 1996.

“Although consumers report that they are more knowledgeable about food safety and have improved their safe food handling practices, in reality, some consumers are still using unsafe practices,” said Dr. Elsa Murano, Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA.

The research reviewed by USDA included not only the Food Safety Survey data, but observational studies of consumers preparing food and informal discussions with small groups of consumers. The research shows that while food thermometer ownership has increased since 1998 and usage has doubled, the percentage of consumers who use food thermometers remains low.

“Consumers continue to mistakenly believe they can tell when food is fully cooked by color alone when color is not an indicator of safety,” Murano added. “A food thermometer is the only way to determine when meat has reached a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria.”

The 2001 Food Safety Survey and related documents can be found at www.cfsan.fda.gov; choose National Food Safety Programs, then Food Safety Survey. The USDA report, “Changes in Consumer Knowledge, Behavior, and Confidence Since the 1996 PR/HACCP Final Rule,” can be found at www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/research/HACCPimpacts.htm.

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Note to Editors: Information on food safety education outreach efforts and campaigns can be accessed at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/consedu.htm and http://www.fightbac.org/main.cfm.

For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 690-0460

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