USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service | FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
September is

National Food Safety Education Month®

Background

September marks the fifteenth annual National Food Safety Education Month®, one of the activities supported by the National Food Safety Program. The goals of the Month are:

Restaurants and foodservice operations, hospitality associations, colleges and universities, federal, state, and local government agencies, and consumer organizations across the country participate in National Food Safety Education Month in a variety of ways each year.

September 2008 Activities

Theme:
Be Food Safe (Consumers/Public Health Professionals)
Take Action to Prevent Allergic Reaction

NFSEM Archives

September 2007 Activities

BAC and hand washing

Theme:
Foodborne Pathogens: Your Family's Health is in Your Hands (Consumer)
Viruses: They're in Your Hands (Retail)


September 2006 Activities

NFSEM

Theme:
Don't Compromise - Clean and Sanitize


September 2005 Activities

soap dispenser

Theme:
Keep Hands Clean with Good Hygiene


September 2004 Activities

NFSEM

Theme:
Be aware when you prepare.


September 2003 Activities

NFSEM

Theme:
Store It. Don't Ignore It.


September 2002 Activities

2002 logo - Four Steps to Food Safety

Theme:
Four Steps to Food Safety (Consumer)
CHECK IT OUT before you check it in (Retail)


September 2001 Activities

2001 logo - Cartoon of a refrigerator.

Theme:
Be Cool. Chill Out -
Refrigerate Promptly.


September 2000 Activities

2000 logo - Separate cutting boards.

Theme:
Be Smart. Keep Foods Apart -
Don't Cross-Contaminate.


Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria to food from other foods, cutting boards, utensils, etc., if they are not handled properly. An example of cross-contamination is cutting raw meat or fish on a cutting board and then slicing salad vegetables on the same cutting board without first washing it. Research shows that cross-contamination is a contributing factor in many foodborne disease outbreaks.

September 1999 Activities

1999 logo - Cooking thermometer.

Theme:
Cook it Safely -
It's a Matter of Degrees


September 1998 Activities

Fight BAC! Keep Food Safe From Bacteria.

Theme:
Keep It Clean -
The First Step to Food Safety


September 1997 Activities

Gateway to Government Food Safety Information