Welcome to the November 2006 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center 's FEDINFO E-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent 6-8 times a year with helpful updates, practical information, and special offers to make your life a little easier. You can always find the latest information on our family of websites:Pueblo.gsa.gov, FirstGov.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, and Kids.gov.
This issue includes:
- Remember 3:1:1 This Holiday Travel Season
- USDA Helps Americans Be Food Safe This Thanksgiving
- New Tool to Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- Black Friday Shopping Tips
- FREE Publications
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REMEMBER 3:1:1 THIS HOLIDAY TRAVEL SEASON
Thanksgiving marks the start of the busy holiday travel season. If you’re traveling by air, be sure to arrive at the airport early to allow yourself enough time to get through the long lines at security checkpoints. Preparing in advance for your trip will save time and frustration later. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recommends that passengers pack liquids, gels and aerosols in checked baggage whenever possible. If you have to carry these kinds of items through the security checkpoint, just remember 3:1:1:
3: All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a 3 ounce or smaller container.
1: These containers must be placed in a 1 quart, clear, plastic, zip-top bag.
1: 1 bag per passenger placed in a plastic bin for screening.
Click here to get the 3:1:1 on air travel.
Check out TSA’s Travel Tips for other key travel guidelines.
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USDA HELPS AMERICANS BE FOOD SAFE THIS THANKSGIVING
USDA's new nationwide food safety public education campaign, Be Food Safe, encourages you to practice four easy to remember food safety tips during the holidays -- Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.
Clean -- Wash hands, surfaces and utensils often to avoid spreading bacteria when preparing food. Hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of foodborne illness as well as pesky colds.
Separate -- Use a different cutting board for raw meat, poultry, or seafood as opposed to veggies. Be especially careful to keep the raw turkey away from vegetables and side dishes that won't be cooked.
Cook -- You can't tell it's done by how it looks! Use a food thermometer. Every part of the turkey should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.
Chill -- Keep the fridge at 40°F or below in order to keep bacteria from growing. Pumpkin pie should always be refrigerated and other leftovers should also be refrigerated within two hours.
Click here to get tips on cooking “other” holiday meats like ham, rib roast, lamb, and wild game.
If your turkey is giving you a tough time, you can also call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854); TTY: 1-800-256-7072 for more information in English and Spanish. The Hotline's hours are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Time, year-round, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving. An extensive selection of timely food safety messages is also available at the same number 24 hours a day. Information can also be accessed on the FSIS website. E-mail inquiries can be sent to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.
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NEW TOOL TO USE THE NUTRITION FACTS LABEL
HHS and FDA recently launched a new online tool to help you use the Nutrition Facts label to choose nutritious foods and reach your healthy weight goal.
Make Your Calories Count features an animated character called "Labelman" who expertly leads you through a series of exercises on the food label. You can use the Nutrition Facts label to take control of your calorie intake and weight and to make healthy food choices. This program explains what serving sizes, percentages, and daily values mean and how to use them.
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Before you head out to the mall or shop online for that perfect present, take a few moments to read these tips to help you have a less stressful holiday season.
- Decide in advance exactly what you want and what you can afford.
- Read sale ads carefully. Some may say "quantities limited," "no rain checks," or "not available at all stores."
- Don’t buy on impulse or under pressure. This includes donating to charity. Do your research.
- Get a written copy of guarantees and warranties.
- Get the seller’s refund, return and cancellation policies.
Visit ConsumerAction.gov for more helpful buying tips.
If you decide to brave the crowds and hit those Black Friday sales, don’t forget to:
- Eat a healthy breakfast. You’ll need energy to stay focused.
- Be courteous to others, despite the fact that others will be tired, cranky, and competitive, and clerks will be exhausted.
- Have a sense of adventure and challenge. Much of the difference between a stressful experience and an exciting one is your attitude.
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The Federal Citizen Information Center frequently has special offers of free publications mentioned in magazines and newspapers around the country. We want to give you an opportunity to order these publications online -- even if they didn't see the original article. You can find these offers on our Media Promotions page. You can also sign up for e-mail notices to find out when new offers have been added.
Note: Some of the older offers mentioned on the page have ended but they provide links to the publications online or you can order a free sample package of currently-available publications.
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Many consumers are now using SPAM-blocking software or junk-mail filters offered by their email providers. These filters may also prevent you from receiving e-letters that you have subscribed to like FEDINFO. If you are using these filters, you may want to consider adding the following e-mail address to your "safe list:" cic.info@gsa.gov
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We hope that you have found this e-letter valuable. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please contact us at: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/emailus.htm. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE.
Previous issues of the FEDINFO E-letter can be found at: www.pueblo.gsa.gov/fedinfonews/fedinfoarchives.htm.
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Issue 2006-6