September is Food Safety Education Month: Each week we will post educational material about food safety. Some is for consumers, some is for educators, all is targeted on reducing foodborne illness.


This month take an active role in preventing foodborne illness, also known as “food poisoning.” The federal government estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually – that’s about 1 in 6 Americans each year. Each year, these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Following simple food safety tips can help lower your chance of getting sick.

National Food Safety Education Month Resources

FDA has resources to help encourage you and your community to put food safety first.

Social Media Resources

Help us to spread the word about the importance of food safety. Use these Twitter and Facebook messages to show your support for Food Safety Education Month and to encourage your community to keep food safe.

Sample Tweets
Learning the do’s and don’ts of food-safe meal prep can help avoid foodborne illness. Start in the kitchen, putting #foodsafety into practice to protect you and your family. http://go.usa.gov/xV2YK #NFSEM

#CLEAN – Rinse fruits and veggies under running water. Slicing or dicing? Scrub ‘em anyway– germs can jump from rinds to the insides during cutting and peeling. https://go.usa.gov/xVT3t #NFSEM

#COOK – When you’re cooking you can’t tell if it done just by looking. Use a food thermometer to make sure it’s safe to eat. https://go.usa.gov/xVT3d #NFSEM

#SEPARATE – No yolking around! Storing eggs on the fridge door can expose them to uneven temperatures. Here’s where you should store them instead: https://go.usa.gov/xVT3G#NFSEM #FoodSafety

#CHILL – Keep your cool – especially when it comes to grocery, leftovers, & food delivery items. Your fridge should be 40 degrees F or less, the freezer zero degrees F or less. https://go.usa.gov/xVT3A#NFSEM

Sample Facebook Posts
Think food poisoning is just a little upset tummy and will pass? Not always. Sometimes foodborne illness is serious & even life threatening. We’ve got short video stories from 3 people that speak from experience! https://go.usa.gov/xV2ry National Food Safety Education Month

Looking for free food safety information? Whether a consumer, teacher of middle & high school students, or a food service worker, you’ve come to the right place! Check out our resource library to find free education materials, printable posters, and videos. https://go.usa.gov/xPCJENational Food Safety Education Month

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Remember and follow these 4 key steps from @FDAfood to follow and keep your family safer from food poisoning

You wash apples, tomatoes and strawberries before you eat them, but what about cantaloupes, avocados and kiwi? https://go.usa.gov/xVT3t Hint: the answer is YES. #NFSEM

No yolking around! Storing eggs on the fridge door can expose them to uneven temperatures. Here’s where you should store them instead: https://go.usa.gov/xVT3G #NFSEM #FoodSafety

When you’re cooking you can’t tell if it done just by looking. Use a food thermometer to make sure it’s safe to eat. https://go.usa.gov/xVT3d #NFSEM

Keep your cool – especially when it comes to grocery, leftovers, & food delivery items. Your fridge should be 40°F or less, the freezer 0°F or less. https://go.usa.gov/xVT3A #NFSEM

Resources
Looking for #foodsafety information? Whether a consumer, teacher of middle and high school students, or a food service worker, you’ve come to the right place!
Check out @FDAfood’s resource library to find free printable materials and videos. https://go.usa.gov/xPCJE #NFSEM

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