Release No. 0351.02

Jean Daniel (703) 305-2286
Matt Baun (202) 720-9113

USDA OFFICIALS FOCUS ON FOOD SAFETY FOR NATION’S CHILDREN

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2002—Top officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture today unveiled a resource guide for school food service professionals during an interactive teleconference for child nutrition and food service professionals sponsored by the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI).

“Responding to a Food Recall” is the latest in a series of technical assistance materials geared toward specific needs of school food service professionals. The publication, which will be made available free to all school food authorities, contains food recall reference guides, leader guides and brochures. NFSMI produced the resource guide through a cooperative agreement with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. NFSMI is an independent organization, funded by Congress, which serves as a national leader in providing education, research and training to child nutrition groups in order to promote excellence in child nutrition programs.

“Providing nutritious and safe food for our child nutrition programs is critical. The meals we serve are designed to help children become healthier and more productive, which will give them the best possible start in life,” said Eric M. Bost, undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. “It is essential that those meals are not only well-balanced and appealing, but also safe to consume.”

In the teleconference, Bost and Dr. Elsa Murano, undersecretary for Food Safety, stressed the importance of food handling and safety preparation through partnerships with the NFSMI, local county and city health inspectors, and USDA agencies involved in preventing tainted food from reaching schools. Their message aims to ensure that information is shared, activities are coordinated and problems are analyzed and solved promptly.

In the past, effective partnerships have allowed us to establish food safety requirements that are monitored and enforced, purchase safe and nutritious food for child nutrition programs, and develop educational tools like the “Thermy™" and “Fight BAC!®” spokescharacters to help providers handle and prepare food safely.

“Each step in the chain, from farm to table, is vital in maintaining a safe, wholesome food supply,” Murano said. “Food service professionals are instrumental in keeping school children safe from disease-causing bacteria and foodborne illness, and we depend on them to properly handle and prepare the food that is served.”

Some of the other key USDA resources available for school food service professionals include:

• Thermy™ - USDA Food Safety Education Campaign to Promote Food Thermometer Use

USDA introduced its new messenger, “Thermy™,” in 2000 to promote the use of food thermometers. Thermy™ pocket cards showing proper food heating and holding times have been distributed to school food service professionals and a Spanish version is underway. Thermy™ food magnets and posters in English and Spanish will also be distributed to encourage cooking foods to proper internal temperatures.

• Fight BAC! ®

The Fight BAC!® campaign is an education campaign focused on safe food handling to help reduce foodborne illness. Schools Fight BAC! ® Food Safety Posters, which have been distributed to schools across the country contain four food safety topics on one side as well as photo reproducible materials and activities for students, teachers, parents and food service managers on the other side. A version is also available for child care centers and both posters are being developed in Spanish. School food service professionals have also received laminated pocket cards in English and Spanish containing basic safe-food preparation information.

• Manager’s Self-Inspection Checklist Tear-off Tablet

This list of checkpoints that correspond to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles of food safety inspection is designed for school food service professionals to determine areas requiring corrective action.

• Serving It Safe: A Manager’s Tool Kit

This publication was developed for school food service managers using the 1993 FDA Food Code and was updated to include the 1999 FDA Food Code holding temperatures. This publication is currently being revised, using FNS funds, through the National Food Service Management Institute, to concur with the 2001 FDA Food Code. It will be distributed to school food service managers.

For more information on the teleconference and on materials produced by NFSMI, visit their website at http://www.nfsmi.org/ . For additional information on child nutrition programs and food safety, visit the USDA web site at http://www.usda.gov .

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