This page provides a text alternative for an article in the Winter/Spring 2007 issue (PDF Only, 5.4MB).

Join the "Be Food Safe" Campaign
By Robyn Sadagursky and CiCi Williamson

"Be Food Safe." Three simple words - but a declarative phrase that's effective in the fight against foodborne illness. These three words are the theme for a new multimedia public education campaign that's crucial to preventing foodborne illness. "Be Food Safe" uses new consumer—tested materials and messages to encourage consumers to change their behavior and maintain those changes. The new educational effort continues to focus on the safe food-handling behaviors of "Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill," which were created for the Fight BAC!® campaign by the Partnership for Food Safety Education.

"Be Food Safe" is an educational program grounded in social marketing, behavior change, and risk communication theories. It delivers specific safe food-handling messages to help consumers understand the simple steps they can take to prevent foodborne illness. The program provides educators with the tools to inform consumers about foodborne illness and raises the overall level of awareness of the dangers associated with unsafe handling and undercooked food.

USDA developed "Be Food Safe" in cooperation with the Partnership for Food Safety Education, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Our partners already use many successful campaigns," said Susan Conley, Director of Food Safety Education at USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. "We designed 'Be Food Safe' to be an umbrella campaign that will work with existing educational efforts."

Why "Be Food Safe"?

Research shows that Americans are aware of food safety but they need more information to achieve and maintain safe food-handling behaviors. Using the easy-to-remember theme, "Be Food Safe" empowers consumers to achieve and maintain safe food-handling behaviors. The campaign's focus on the four basic safe food-handling behaviors, "Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill," provides the framework for communicating the specific safe food-handling information consumers need.

Preventing foodborne illness is one of the USDA's and its partners' top priorities. This year about 5,000 people in the United States will die from foodborne illness — approximately 14 people each day. More than 325,000 people are hospitalized each year for foodborne illness and approximately 76 million cases occur annually. That's why everyone needs to "Be Food Safe."

The Campaign

As part of the program, a partner's toolkit was created to provide the essentials needed to spread the "Be Food Safe" message in a variety of different forums. It features a DVD containing ready-to-use print and radio advertisements, feature articles, a poster and other tools educators can customize and use to run an effective, co-branded campaign.

"Radio public service announcements, TV video news releases, magazine print ads and eye-catching consumer materials are part of this energizing endeavor to enlighten consumers on the steps necessary to prevent illness from the foods they eat," said Conley. "And there is more to come — a TV spot, brochure and other materials are scheduled for production in 2007."

At the dedicated Web address befoodsafe.gov, partners can download the customizable print materials and consumer publications. The blank areas on the items are designed for partner organizations to add their names and logos to leverage the credibility of trusted national and local sources for food safety information.

Proof Positive

"Be Food Safe" is adopted from a proven earlier approach: "Is It Done Yet?" the USDA pilot-tested public health paid advertising campaign. The pilot, conducted in August 2004 in partnership with the Michigan State University's National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, was designed to increase the use of food thermometers in Michigan. "Is It Done Yet?" targeted suburban parents with children under the age of 10. After the two-week media outreach campaign, 50 percent more targeted parents thought about using a food thermometer when cooking or grilling, and thermometer usage among the target audience increased by about 9 percent.

Based on this successful model campaign, the tools that partners needed were created for them to use in taking these food safety education messages to local media outlets, reaching consumers nationwide. The success of the current program depends upon partners reaching as many consumers as possible.

Help Others "Be Food Safe"

Partners — whether in education, public health, processing or retailing — can help achieve momentum for the "Be Food Safe" message and have a greater positive impact on consumer behavior than the federal government alone. This public-private partnership is essential in promoting the "Be Food Safe" message, generating attention, and gaining momentum for this exciting new education campaign. It is time to spread the word to help all consumers and for America to "Be Food Safe."

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