Editors Note: September is National Food Safety Education Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Amy Schneider  314.982.8638 Melanie Miller    703.768.7980

Facts about Foodborne Illness

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nationally, 76 million people become sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die each year from foodborne illness. Most of these illnesses could be prevented through proper food handling, cooking and storage.
  
• Many people do not think about food safety until a food-related illness affects them or a family member. While the food supply in the United States is one of the safest in the world, anywhere from 400 to 500 foodborne outbreaks are reported annually to the CDC.

Clean
According to food safety experts, bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get on to cutting boards, knives, sponges and counter tops. To help avoid this, wash everything -- including your hands -- with soap and water.

• Use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards. Cutting boards should be run through the dishwasher - or washed with soap and water - after each use.
  
• The average used kitchen sponge harbors 7.2 billion bacteria. Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. Or, if using cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle of the washing machine.
  
• Thoroughly wash hands with warm water and soap for a full 20 seconds before and after handling raw products, paying special attention to areas under the nails and behind jewelry where bacteria could lurk.

Separate
Cross-contamination is how bacteria spread from one food product to another. This is especially true for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.

• Store raw meat, poultry and seafood on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so juices don't drip onto other foods.
  
• Use one cutting board for raw meat products and another for salads and other foods which are ready to be eaten.
  
• Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood unless it has been properly cleaned.

Cook
Food safety experts agree that foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

• Use a food thermometer, which measures the internal temperature of cooked meat and poultry, to make sure that the meat is cooked all the way through. Information from the CDC links eating undercooked, pink ground beef with a higher risk of illness.
  
• Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny. Don't use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.
  
• Cook fish until it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
  
• Make sure there are no cold spots in food (where bacteria can survive) when cooking in a microwave oven. For best results, cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking.
  
• Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165° F.

Chill
Refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Food safety experts recommend setting the refrigerator at 40°F and the freezer unit at 0° F and occasionally checking these temperatures with an appliance thermometer.

• Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours.
  
• Never defrost or marinate food on the kitchen counter. Use the refrigerator, cold running water or the microwave.
  
• Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.
  
• Don't pack the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to keep food safe.

Suggested Products
Wal-Mart and the Partnership for Food Safety Education recommend consumers carry the following items in their food safety tool kit:

• Food thermometer
  
• Non-porous cutting boards
  
• Paper towels
  
• Food storage and wrap