sites at state health departments to track cases

of foodborne infection. Funding in the

Initiative will also allow sites to update

technology and build a national “fingerprinting” database of bacterial DNA. This type of

“fingerprinting” would allow rapid identification of multi-state outbreaks.

Consumer and food handler education are

also key components of the Initiative.

Federal agencies are actively involved in

supporting and promoting the Fight BAC!TM

campaign launched by

the public/private

Partnership for Food

Safety Education.

According to Carole

Schiffman, director of

the FDA consumer

education staff, teams of

Federal employees are also investigating:

• RESEARCH: What are barriers to changing

unsafe food handling behaviors? Who needs

it the most?

• FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS:

What’s the best route?

• A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR FOOD SAFETY

EDUCATION MATERIALS: How can we do a

better job of sharing?

For more information check the “foods”

part of the FDA website:

(http://vm.csfan.fda.gov).

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

Dianne Durant, editor

Liz Lapping, assistant editor

Phone: 202-690-0351

T his year: Food Safety Hits High Gear

One year ago this month, President Clinton

proposed a $43 million Food Safety Initiative

designed to reduce foodborne illness by

strengthening and improving food safety

practices and policies.

Today, more than 40 different projects are

underway as a result. The Initiative calls for:

• enhanced food safety inspection and

monitoring

• more public health surveillance and

improved government coordination when

food-related illnesses occur, and

• more education for consumers and food

service/industry workers.

Without a doubt, momentum is building in

food safety. Here’s what’s happening.

In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented new regulations

for major meat and poultry slaughter and

processing plants. These plants are required to

operate under the Hazard Analysis and Critical

Control Points (HACCP) concept, a sciencebased preventive approach to safe food

production. This past December, the Food and

Drug Administration (FDA) put seafood HACCP

regulations into effect. In the future, Federal

agencies will be applying the HACCP concept

to the production of fruits and vegetables as

well as eggs and egg products.

In public health monitoring, the Initiative

calls for expanding the FoodNet early-warning

Volume 3, No. 1 1998

a aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the rip-off

section

a a a a a a a a a aa

Subscription

Information:

Did you know?

The Food Safety

Educator is a free

quarterly

publication.

If you are

interested

in subscribing,

fax your name and

address to:

202/720-9063,

or write:

Public Outreach

Room 1180 South

FSIS/USDA

Washington, D.C.

20250

•

TM
Thorough cooking is essential when it comes to safe food

handling. It’s also one of the key food safety messages stressed

under the new Fight BAC!TM campaign. Supporting the importance of that message, the FSIS Food Safety Education and

Communications Staff has developed a new Technical Information fact sheet, Kitchen Thermometers, October 1997.

As the new eight-page fact sheet stresses, using a meat

thermometer is critical to thorough cooking according to food

safety experts and the Meat and Poultry Hotline.

As the publication notes, recent research has shown that •

color and texture indicators are not reliable in determining that

food has been cooked to the point where potentially dangerous

bacteria are destroyed. However, a consumer using a thermometer can feel reassured the food has reached a safe temperature.

The Technical Information publication provides detailed

background on the different types of food thermometers as well

as instruction on use and calibration tips. It also includes the

following two charts. To see the entire publication, check this

newsletter’s inserts or our website (http://www.usda.gov/fsis).

Or, dial Fast Fax 1-800-238-8281.

F SIS Fact Sheet Focuses on Kitchen Thermometers

2 The Food Safety Educator
•

•

The Hotline, part of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, provides accurate,

up-to-date information to callers on safe food handling and the prevention of foodborne

illness. Home economists, registered dietitians and food technologists staff this public

health service.

“You can never tell when these recorded

messages are going to come in handy,”

laughs Susan Conley, director of the food

safety education and communications

staff.

 “I came into the office one Monday

morning and found a message from a

man sending his thanks. His power had

gone out over the weekend. He called in

to the Hotline number in the middle of

the night and found out everything he

needed to know from our recorded

messages. It works!”

Those recorded messages Conley is

talking about are the always-on-duty

“Hotline experts” callers can access when

they call in to the USDA Meat and Poultry

Hotline. (Dial 1-800-535-4555 and

follow the prompts.)

The messages were developed in

response to consumers’ most frequently

asked questions, according to management analyst Linda Eckrich. Topics

callers can select include:

• Safe Cooking Methods and Safe Use of

Cooking Equipment

• Preparing Specific Meat and Poultry

Products

• Food Storage, Refrigeration and

Freezing

• Safe Food Handling at Home or Away

• Foodborne Bacteria and Illnesses

• Recalls, Advisories, Agency News

• Power Failure or Natural Disaster

• Labeling and Nutrition

Hotline Recorded

Messages:

Working for You

24 Hours a Day

N ew Q&A’s Cover Topics in the News

C ampylobacter is not a new bacterium. But it has been a focus of news

and was recently identified by FoodNet

as the most frequently isolated bacterium from persons with diarrhea.

Campylobacter Questions and

Answers, November 1997, was developed by the Food Safety Education and

Communications Staff. It answers

basic questions about the bacterium,

including how to control it.

 The Q&A points out that most

foodborne illness from bacteria on

raw meat or poultry can be prevented

by proper food handling in home and

institutional kitchens. The Q&A

highlights the following tips for

consumers:

• To keep food safe at home, refrigerate promptly and properly. Freeze

raw meat and poultry you will not

use within one or two days.

• Thaw foods in the refrigerator.

Foods should not be thawed at

room temperature.

• Cross-contamination of bacteria

from food to other ready-to-eat food

can be prevented by thorough

washing of hands, countertops and

utensils.

• Campylobacter are very fragile

bacteria that are easily destroyed by

thorough cooking. Freezing cannot be relied on to destroy the

bacteria. Thorough cooking is the

step that will make the product

safe.

Questions about “ground meat” or

“hamburger” have always been in the

top five topics of calls to the USDA

Meat and Poultry Hotline. This new

fact sheet answers the most frequently

asked questions, including:

• What kind of bacteria can be found

in ground beef?

• Why is the E. coli O157:H7

bacterium of special concern in

ground beef?

• From what cuts of beef are ground

beef and hamburger made?

• What is the significance of the

“sell-by” date on the package?

• What’s the best way to handle raw

ground beef when you buy it?

• Why is prepackaged ground beef

red on the outside and sometimes

dull, grayish-brown on the inside?

• Are microwaved hamburgers safe?

For answers to these questions and

more, check out Focus on Ground

Beef, October 1997.”

Campylobacter Q & A Focus on Ground Beef

Both of these publications are

included as inserts in this

newsletter.

You can also access at

http://www.usda.gov/fsis.

Or dial Fast Fax 1-800/238-8281.

•

Volume 3, No. 1 1998 3
4 The Food Safety Educator

plex phenomenon” the authors note. And

“induction of acid tolerance of E. coli can

enhance its survival in acidic foods.”

Recent studies have indicated this may

also increase the microorganisms’s

resistance to “heating, radiation, and

antimicrobials.”

Disease prevention: The authors write

that the Hazard Analysis and Critical

Control Points (HACCP) system from farm

to table is the most effective means for

reducing the risk for the disease.

For consumers, their recommendations for reducing risks are specific:

• Cook ground beef and venison thoroughly (minimum 160 degrees F)

before eating.

• Drink only pasteurized milk and apple

juice.

• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables

thoroughly before eating.

• Wash hands thoroughly after handling

animals, particularly cattle, deer, goats

or dogs.

• Wash hands thoroughly after changing

diapers or providing care to children

or adults suffering from a diarrheal

disease.

• Do not use fresh manure from ruminants to fertilize vegetables or fruits.

• Avoid swimming in lakes or ponds

used by cattle and drinking surface

water that has not been properly

 treated to eliminate pathogens.

Finally, they write: “a key lesson

dramatically reinforced by the emergence

of E. coli O157:H7 is that both the

macroscopic and microscopic worlds

change continually. We cannot take for

granted that foods and food practices that

have been traditionally safe will remain

that way in the future.”

 Continued vigilance and the ability to

rapidly mobilize research capabilities are

essential, they say. •

Commenting on the Scientific Status

Summary on Escherichia coli O157:H7

and other enterohemorrhagic E. coli,

Kaye Wachsmuth detailed food safety

changes since the 1993 Western States

outbreak attributed to undercooked

hamburger.

At the same time, she cautioned that

“the traditional barriers of time/temperature and acid must be reevaluated. Many

of the pathogen’s attributes addressed so

well in the status summary by Buchanan

and Doyle are defying food safety

conventions.”

In addition, Wachsmuth pointed out

that new surveillance data indicate only a

few clusters of illness associated with

contaminated beef.

“There has been a shift to other

sources of contaminated foods, such as

alfalfa sprouts, unpasteurized apple juice

and lettuce,” she wrote.

For farmers, she added, there is a

growing recognition that fruits and

vegetables “are raw agricultural products

that are ready-to-eat and must be treated

accordingly.

“The tradition of recycling manure

for vegetable gardening has caused

E.coli O157:H7 illness; the pathogen can

survive longer than the traditional 60-

day holding period. Harvesters of

produce for raw consumption might well

be thought of as food handlers.”

“E. coli O157:H7,” she concluded,

”has been a driving force for change in

many areas and has shaken tradition; but

it remains an enigma. Where did it come

from? What happened in 1982? Now

that it is here can it be eradicated?”

The following information is excerpted from a Scientific Status Summary published by the Institute of Food Technologist

(IFT) Expert Panel on Food Safety and Nutrition. It appeared in the October 1997 issue of Food Technology, Vol. 51, No. 10,

pages 69-76. IFT may be reached at 312/782-8424 (www.ift.org).

“The unusually virulent

enterohemorrhagic strains of Escherichia coli, including the O157:H7

serotype, have prompted food microbiologists to rewrite the rule book on food

safety” write authors Buchanan and

Doyle .

The authors note that the pathogens

are more significant than others because

of the severe consequences of infection,

their low infectious dose, unusual acid

tolerance and “inexplicable association

with ruminants that are used for food.”

“The need for consumer education on

the safe handling of foods has never been

more acute” they write.

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC):

The defining symptom of the disease is

hemorrhagic colitis (HC), i.e., bloody

diarrhea.

The authors point out that the initial

symptoms of HC generally occur one to

two days after eating contaminated food,

though longer periods (three to five

days) have been reported.

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

(HUS): This is the most common lifethreatening complication and the onset

begins approximately a week after the

onset of gastrointestinal symptoms. HUS

occurs most often in children under the

age of ten. The authors add that the

“pathogen is likely responsible for 85-

95% of HUS cases.”

Acid tolerance: Like all bacteria, the

survival and growth of E. coli O157:H7

are dependent on the interaction of

various factors such as temperature, pH,

and water activity.

“Acid tolerance in E. coli is a comA commentary on the Summary was

authored by I. Kaye Wachsmuth, Ph.D.,

deputy administrator of the FSIS office

of public health and science.

The Scientific Status Summary was

authored by Robert L. Buchanan of

USDA’s Agricultural Research Service

and Michael P. Doyle, director of the

center for food safety and quality

enhancement, University of Georgia.

E. coli O157:H7: Scientific Status Summary
Volume 3, No. 1 1998 5

The following are excerpts from remarks for delivery by Dr. Catherine Woteki, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, before the

Ceres Forum of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, Sept. 25,

1997, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Speaking before the conference

focusing on E. coli O157:H7, Catherine

Woteki was clear about the bacterium:

“such a tiny organism, but such a large

impact,” she said.

“Less than a decade ago, the

pervasive attitude among industry--and

even among some regulators--was that

bacteria, including pathogens, are a

natural part of the environment and

can’t be controlled” she pointed out.

“The idea that government would

begin setting standards for pathogen

reduction, and testing raw products for

bacteria contamination, was beyond

belief. And the idea that industry would

begin to embrace Hazard Analysis and

Critical Control Points (HACCP) as

good business was a reality only

among the most progressive leaders.

“But that’s exactly what happened,”

Woteki said.

Woteki noted that many factors

have contributed to the increased

emphasis on foodborne pathogens.

New pathogens are emerging, new

food production and preparation

practices increase risks, and more of

the population faces increased risks

due to age or immune-compromising

conditions.

But Woteki pointed out that it was

the 1993 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7

that “was a defining moment in the

history of pathogen reduction. That

outbreak sickened hundreds, was

responsible for four deaths, and

provided a national impetus for

ground-breaking change.”

“That outbreak had far-reaching

ramifications for everyone--industry,

regulators and consumers . . . . With

mobilized support for change, the new

Administration in Washington proposed a major overhaul of an antiquated food safety system,” Woteki

said.

Following are some of the changes

Woteki identified:

• Safe handling labels are now

required on raw meat and poultry and

provide instruction on storage,

cooking and holding practices.

• The USDA pathogen reduction and

HACCP rule requires all plants that

slaughter and process meat and

poultry to prevent contamination.

The rule also sets performance

standards for pathogen reduction.

• The FoodNet Sentinel Sites Study is

collecting more precise information

about the incidence of foodborne

illness.

• New technology is providing better

tools to fight pathogens such as steam

pasteurization and antimicrobial

carcass sprays.

• Farm-to-table strategies are targeting

other points in the food chain

including animal production,

transportation and retail.

• Research is increasing, among other

things, understanding of the natural

history of human pathogens in

animals, setting the stage for potential

breakthroughs in vaccines and other

preventive approaches.

• Education is being newly emphasized

through conferences such as the 1996

“Changing Strategies/Changing

Behaviors Conference” sponsored by

USDA, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention.

Woteki noted in closing: “This

conference focuses heavily on E. coli

O157:H7, but we must be careful not to

lose sight of the many other foodborne

pathogens that are already here and

those with new disease-causing capabilities that have yet to emerge . . . .

“The challenge, for regulators,

industry and academia, is to develop a

comprehensive approach that addresses

all known pathogens and to be constantly vigilant to emerging ones.”

Catherine Woteki became USDA

Under Secretary for Food Safety in July

1997. Prior to that she served as Acting

Under Secretary for Research, Education

and Economics. From 1994 to 1995, she

was Deputy to the Associate Director of

Science at the White House Office of

Science and Technology Policy. From

1990 to 1994 she was Director of the

Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of

Medicine, National Academy of Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in human

nutrition and is a registered dietitian.

E. coli–An Agent for ChangeneruU

To read an interview with Under Secretary Woteki,

check our Fast Fax:

1-800-238-8281

or visit our website:

(http://www.usda.gov/fsis).

•
6 The Food Safety Educator

Food safety curriculums are beginning

to find their way to the Internet. Here’s

one you might find of interest.

This web-based curriculum produced

by Iowa State is a comic strip set in

“Artichoker’s Cafe” where the owner

learns about the dangers of foodborne

illness as he prepares Thanksgiving

turkey.

The comic strip is part of a curriculum for young people called “Safe Food:

It’s Up to You!” designed by The Food

Safety Project, Iowa State University

Extension Office.

The curriculum’s four lessons are

presented in simple language and

accompanied by colorful artwork.

Lesson One, “What’s Bugging

You?” provides an overview to food

safety and common pathogens.

Lesson Two, “What Are Consumer

Control Points?” applies HACCP to the

home.

Lesson Three, “Where is the Danger

Zone?” explains the importance of time

and temperature.

Lesson Four, “Who is FAT TOM?”

introduces an animated turkey to explain

the importance of Food, Acidity, Time/

Temperature, Oxygen and Moisture on

safe food practices.

Each lesson is followed by an

achievement test, which students

complete and check against the computer.

The program is now being pilot

tested in 15 Iowa high schools. In

addition, more than 3,000 people around

the world have already completed the

course via the Internet.

The program developers are also

planning a new and “nifty” inter-active

lesson for kids concerning hygiene and

germs. It’s due up on the Web in April.

 For more information contact Peggy

Sherry, 515/294-1592.

On the Internet, access:

http://www.exnet.iastate.edu/Pages/

families/fs/Lesson/Lessonfs.html

Web-Based

Curriculums

• Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service USDA

(http://www.reeusda.gov/).

INDUSTRY, TRADE AND

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

• The Partnership for Food Safety

Education. This is the industry,

government and organizational

team bringing you the Fight BAC!TM

campaign (www.fightbac.org).

• International Food Information

Council (http://ificinfo.health.org/).

• World Health Organization (http://

www.who.ch) offers numerous food

safety documents including The

Weekly Epidemiological Record

(http://www.who.ch/wer/

wer_home.htm).

• Institute of Food Technologists

(http://www.ift.org). Check out their

newsletter Food Science Communicators’ Alert (http://www.ift.org/sc/

communicators/9710.html).

ACADEMIA

• National Food Safety Database from

the University of Florida, a great

resource, with full-text documents

(http://www.foodsafety.org/).

• Iowa State University Extension

Food Safety Project, (http://

www.exnet.iastate.edu/Pages/

families/fs/homepage.html).

• North Carolina State University

(http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/

foodsci/safety/).

There is so much good information on the Internet. Here are just a few

interesting sites. If Internet access is not available, check out the local library.

It’s worth the trip.

And while there, look up this new government site: U.S. Consumer Gateway.

It’s exactly what the name says, a “gateway” integrating access to all kinds of

consumer information throughout government (http://www.consumer.gov/).

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES:

• USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness

Education Information Center

(http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/

foodborne/foodborn.htm).

• Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (www.cdc.gov/). You

can check the Morbidity and

Mortality Weekly Report

(http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/

mmwr.html).

You can also access full-text

documents from the journal

Emerging Infectious Diseases

which is published four times a

year. Look at their most recent

Special Issue (Vol. 3 No. 4) which

focuses entirely on foodborne

disease (http://www.cdc.gov/

ncidod/EID/eid.htm).

• USDA Economic Research Service

(www.econ.ag.gov/) provides

analysis of the costs of foodborne

pathogens (http:/

www.econ.ag.gov/Briefing/

foodsafe/pathbr2.htm).

• Food Safety and Inspection

Service (http://www.usda.gov/

agency/fsis). Look for consumer

publications, product recall alerts

and Food Net info.

• FDA Center for Food Safety and

Applied Nutrition (http://

vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list). You’ll find

facts on the Food Safety Initiative,

the 1997 Food Code and The Bad

Bug Book.

•

W ebsites

•
Volume 3, No. 1 1998 7

n ews briefs

That’s the title of a new CD-ROM for

kids from the University of Florida, and

it’s hot stuff. Designed for children in

grades 4 through 12, these highly

interactive lessons, games and quizzes

can be used in a computer lab, library or

students’ homes.

Kids take off on a fictional cookout

and along the way they learn the basics

of safe food handling. Students are taken

on a trip to the grocery store to learn the

proper order in which to shop for foods,

how to spot damaged packages and

expired date-labels, and which foods to

bag separately.

Next kids are shown how to safely

handle foods in their own kitchen and

how to avoid cross-contamination.

The format includes slide shows,

videos and audio files. Interactive games

give kids the chance to practice what

they’ve learned and a built-in student

evaluation helps teachers know how far

through the lessons each student has

progressed. The cost is $70 plus

shipping.

For information, call 1-800/

226-1764.

From the American Culinary Federation–

Food Handler Training

Also on CD-ROM, The Food Handler’s Sanitation Interactive offers employers an easy-to-use method to train food handling staff. Staff can study at their

own pace at home or the program can be used in staff meeting or classroom

settings.

Topics:

• The Importance of Food Safety • Leftovers

• Receiving • Hazards

• Storing • Cleaning and Sanitation

• Cooking • Personal Hygiene

The cost: $75. For information, call 1/800-624-9458.

“Serve Food Safely:

A Volunteer Training

System” ©

Where would we be without volunteers? They help serve meals in senior

centers, at church suppers, service clubs

and soup kitchens. But how do you train

volunteers to handle food safely?

This consumer education program

addresses that need with a multimedia

food safety training system which can be

used by volunteers in every setting.

Developed by a Pennsylvania Area

Agency on Aging, Serve Food Safely: A

Volunteer Training System© was a merit

award winner in the National Mature

Media Awards Program.

The program includes a 45-minute

video divided into nine lessons covering

each stage of food preparation, including

home-delivered meals.

According to Project Director Pamela

B. Roberts, Serve Food Safely is an ideal

training system for anyone who serves

food.

“It teaches food basics quickly and

easily, is NOT time intensive and is easy

for trainers and students to use.

“Workers will learn how to properly

wash their hands, thaw food safely, use a

temperature probe, the importance of

time and temperature, and much, much

more” she said.

The program was produced by Active

Aging, Inc., in cooperation with the

County Department of Health and the

Pennsylvania Department of Aging.

The program includes a reproducible

volunteer handbook and a supervisor’s

training guide. Cost: $94.95.

Call 1-800/321-7705 or write:

Active Aging, Inc.

Area Agency on Aging

1034 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

•

•

FSIS is now posting information on

product recalls on the agency’s website.

The agency began posting the information last August to ensure the public has

access to the information. Information

on recalls from 1990 to the present is

also available on the site (http://

www.usda.gov/fsis).

Meat and Poultry

Recall Information

Available on the Web

Food Safety for Seniors

This educational video produced by

Texas Woman’s University demonstrates

food safety basics for seniors. It covers

safe food handling at home including

buying, storing and preparing. It also has

food safety tips for eating out. It’s

available for only $8.95.

Write:

Dr. Carolyn Bednar

TWU–Dept. of Nutrition &

Food Science

P.O. 425888

Denton, TX 76204-5888 •

•

 “Let’s Have a

Killer Cookout

. . . NOT!”
8 The Food Safety Educator

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin,

sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with

disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s

TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250, or call 1-800-245-6340

(voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer.

The Food Safety Educator is

produced by the Food Safety and

Consumer Education Staff of

FSIS. For more than 15 years,

staff educators have been

working cooperatively with

researchers, scientists and

marketing and design experts to

produce educational materials

including print, video and

teleconferencing services.

Developed by Ohio State University

Extension staff, this educational

program was originally developed for

migrant farm families but can be used

by anyone with a need for materials

serving the Spanish-language community.

Curriculum components include:

• Five mini-lessons (5 minutes each)

• Five full lessons (1 hour each)

• Teaching aids including handouts,

overhead transparancies and

activity sheets

• A camera-ready “Good Food

Newsletter”

• “Better Living Services Fact Sheets,”

with low-literacy presentation

• Evaluation tools.

The cost is $21.50. To order call

614/292-1607 or write:

Ohio State University

Extension Publications Office

385 Kottman Hall

2021 Coffey Rd.

Columbus, OH 43210-1044

Ask Yourself:

Many people wonder why it’s so important to cool food properly.

Think about this:

If you had an eight-inch stockpot full of steaming chicken stew,

how long do you think it would take to cool in the refrigerator.

Would you believe 24 hours?

To be safe, store hot food in shallow containers in layers less than

3 inches deep.

•

Fight BAC!TM

: Update

Momentum is continuing with the Fight BAC!TM

educational campaign launched by The Partnership

For Food Safety Education, the public/private team

joining industry, government and organizations.

Community Action Kits as well as Supermarket

Action Kits are being mailed out shortly.

In addition, the Fight BAC!TM brochure is now being made available through The

Consumer Information Center. Single, free copies are available by writing:

Fight BAC!TM

Consumer Information Center

Pueblo, CO 81009

Also in the works is a Spanish version of the Fight BAC!TM brochure. It will be

available in the Community Action Kit.

Check the website,www.fightbac.org, for more information on how we’re

“fighting bac.”

USDA’s Food Safety and Consumer

Education Staff

F ood Safety

Info in Spanish

•

TM

Conference Proceedings

Now Being Mailed

The proceedings are now off-press from

the 1997 conference “Changing

Strategies, Changing Behaviors: What

Food Safety Educators Need to Know.”

The proceedings are being mailed to

conference participants and are also

available through our website (http://

www.usda.gov/fsis). Check the Food

Safety Education section under “What’s

New.”