|  |  | **Food Safety and Inspection    Service    United States Department of Agriculture    Washington, D.C. 20250-3700** |
|--|--|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

##### Consumer Information

###### Fall 1997

## The Food Safety Educator

### Fight Bac!TM

With a multi-faceted media program and a major Washington kick-off, a new food safetyconsumer education campaign was launched this fall by the Partnership for Food SafetyEducation.

The eye-catching Fight BAC!TM cartoon character teamsup with four critical food safety education messages presented graphically to teachconsumers about safe food handling.

According to Susan Conley of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, "whatmakes this campaign unique is that it really is a public/private partnership. Industry,consumer groups, government agencies, health organizations--all of us are working togetherto make this campaign a reality." 

In addition, Dagmar Farr of the Food Marketing Institute noted that "this campaigntakes the basic food safety messages and presents them in a whole new way. With thiscampaign, we have the tools to start changing people’s food handling behavior."

A highlight of the campaign is a 30-second animated PSA that features the Fight BAC!TM character. The PSA will be distributed to televisionstations nationwide.

**"All of the print campaign materials will be designed**so that ournon-profit cooperators can just copy them and go," according to Sara Lilygren of theAmerican Meat Institute. Key materials include: - A Fight BAC! TM  brochure with food safety basics for    consumers.
- A community action kit: designed for food safety educators, the kit is camera ready.    Included are a press release, campaign ideas, logos and brochure.  ( Note: The community    action kit will be mailed to all Food Safety Educator subscribers.) 
- A supermarket kit: with bag stuffers, shelf labels and camera-ready art, this kit will    let supermarkets join the food safety campaign trail. 

According to Lilygren, the campaign focuses on four critical messages: - Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often.
- Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate.
- Cook: Cook to proper temperatures.
- Chill: Refrigerate promptly.

The safe food handling messages are graphically depicted, Lilygren explained, to helpconsumers visualize the actions that need to be taken. The constant use and repetition ofthese graphics, along with the Fight BAC!TM character,will allow all campaign cooperators to reinforce these key concepts and raise consumerawareness.

To monitor the effectiveness of the campaign, the national polling company Yankelovichconducted a national food safety survey in September. That survey will be followed uplater to assess the campaign’s impact. 

Industry groups are providing more than $500,000 in funding while other cooperators areproviding printing and other services, as well as distribution support. "We’realways looking for new partners," Farr said, "and encourage groups to contactus."

Non-profit health, education and civic groups can use the materials free of charge.Organizations interested in using the Fight BAC!TMcartoon character in promotion or sales of products will be required to pay a fee. Formore information, call Lisa Gulledge, 202/944-5193. For up-to-date information about thecampaign, check the web site: www.fightbac.org. 
The Hotline Heads for the HolidaysThe Meat and Poultry 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.
As the Hotline heads for the Holidays, their busiest time of the year, they’vepulled together some fascinating and useful facts for their Holiday package of featurestories--available on the Internet (www.usda.gov/fsis) and through Fast Fax(1-800-238-8281). Here are some highlights:
***Do you know?***
***Where does the name "turkey" come from?***Now, a lot of people may think they know what--or who--a turkey is. But to reallybe in the know, take a look at this. The name turkey was originally applied to an Africanbird (now known as the guinea fowl) which was believed to have come from Turkey. When theEuropeans stumbled on the American turkey, they thought it was the same bird--so theynamed it "turkey." 

***How much turkey do we eat a year?***This will amaze you. In 1996, it’s estimated that we each ate almost 15pounds of turkey. Clearly, turkey is heading for our dinner plates more often than justthe holidays. 

***Which is better--a "hen" turkey or a "tom"?***This is an equal opportunity world. And the answer to this questionis--they’re equally good! Actually, the designation of "hen" (female) or"tom" (male) is optional on the label and is an indication of size. Toms arelarger.

***What’s the nutrient content of turkey?***There’s a lot of good news here. Turkey provides a significant amount ofprotein as well as other nutrients. Fat, saturated fat and cholesterol are also present,with most of the fat being in the skin. A three-ounce serving of baked turkey breast withskin has 160 calories, 6 grams of fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol and 24 grams ofprotein. Without skin: 120 calories, 1 gram of fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol and 26grams of protein. 
***Safe Handling Tips:***
***How long can you keep turkey in the fridge or freezer?***Fresh whole turkey and fresh turkey parts should be cooked (or frozen) within oneto two days of purchase. A whole turkey (uncooked) can be frozen for up to 12 monthsbefore quality gradually declines.

***When is it "done?"***For tenderness and doneness, the internal temperature, as registered on a meatthermometer, must reach a minimum of 180 degrees F in the innermost part of the thighbefore removing the turkey from the oven. For optimum safety and uniform doneness, werecommend cooking stuffing outside the bird. If you do stuff it, the center of thestuffing must reach 165 degrees F before you remove it from the bird. 

***How about safe grilling and smoking?***More and more people are heading outdoors to cook the turkey, so it is importantto know how to do it safely. - When you grill,  remember that cooking times vary, depending on many factors,    including the size of the turkey and the distance from the coals. We recommend that you    don’t stuff the turkey. It will cook more evenly and safely without it. Replenish the    grill with approximately 15 briquettes every hour. The turkey is done with a meat    thermometer in the inner thigh reaches 180 degrees F. 
- When you smoke,  you are using both heat and moisture to cook your food. So, be    sure to add liquid to the drip pan. Be aware that some smokers have a built-in temperature    indicator. If yours doesn’t, place an appliance thermometer on the food rack to    monitor the air temperature.

When the thermometer reaches 225 to 300 degrees F, place the turkey on the rack andquickly replace the cover. As with grilling, we recommend that you don’t stuff theturkey. Because you’re cooking at a low temperature, it can take too long for heat toreach the stuffing.

Smoking takes longer than grilling, so follow the manufacturer’s estimated cookingtimes. Add fresh charcoal every hour to main 225 to 300 degrees F and ensure smoke. Alsoadd liquid to the water pan as needed. As with grilling, the turkey is done when a meatthermometer inserted into the inner thigh reaches 180 degrees F.

***How long can you keep cooked turkey?***Cooked turkey, and cooked turkey dishes can be kept in the refrigerator for threeto four days. After that, freeze them, or pitch them. Cooked turkey will maintain qualityin the freezer for four months, turkey dishes for four to six months.
National Food Safety Educators’ Network (EdNet)
EdNet is a new electronic network allowing food safety educators around the country toconnect on a daily basis. 

While there have always been informal contacts between various groups andorganizations, there has not been a system to connect the myriad of interested parties,according to EdNet originators Susan Conley of USDA and Carole Schiffman of the Food andDrug Administration (FDA). Often, they note, it has been the "professionalgrapevine" that has connected educators. Now, EdNet will be the electronic grapevine.One reason the "grapevine" is so important, explained Schiffman, is that thereare so many groups and organizations around the country involved in food safety education.

Food safety educators can be found in federal, state and local food agencies; collegesand universities; health and consumer organizations, and professional and tradeorganizations.

The goal of EdNet is to provide a forum where all parties interested in food safetyeducation can communicate and share information easily on an ongoing basis. To begin,EdNet will be a direct e-mail communication from the federal government to subscribers. 

In addition to FSIS and FDA, federal agencies involved in the effort includeUSDA’s Cooperative States Research, Education and Extension Service as well asAgricultural Research Service. Also participating is the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention. 

To join EdNet, email you name, email address and phone number to:[email protected]

Or, call Robyn Brown Douglas at 202/205-2857. Please be sure to state whether yourinterest is primarily consumer/health professional education or retail/food service.
A Hot Health Web Site
Launched last April, ***healthfinder ™***is a free "gateway"World Wide Web site serving as a point of entry to a broad range of consumer healthinformation resources produced by the federal government and its many partners. While manyweb sites can be a frustrating maze of deadends and contortions, this one in fact is easyto use and actually delivers the goods. 

***healthfinder ™*** serves as a health "search engine." Enterthe item you’re looking for, and it will find it for you. It reduces informationoverload from commercial or poor quality sources and helps consumers locate the healthinformation they need--or health professionals. 

The ***healthfinder*TM** site at *http://www.healthfinder.gov*features a searchable index and locator aids for news, publications, online journals,support and self-help groups, online discussions and toll-free numbers.

The Department of Health and Human Services is developing this site in collaborationwith other federal agencies that have health communication responsibilities. Individualagencies and organizations maintain their own sites—***healthfinder*TM** just helps people get there.

As part of its partnership endeavor, ***healthfinder*TM****will be including links to information offerings of the public health and overallhealth community ranging from commercial online services to health maintenanceorganizations. **This also applies to local and state governments offering healthinformation over the Internet-**-and whose sites can be linked through ***healthfinder*TM*.***

To join the project, or for more information, contact Dr. Mary Jo Deering at202/260-2652 or David Baker at 202/401-0731. They are with the Department of Health andHuman Services--Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
**Operation RISK**
Produced by Michigan State University Extension, this is a food safety educationprogram for kids in grades 3 through 5, but with components that make it easilyadaptable--even to adults. 

Through the Operation RISK curriculum, kids assume the role of detectives as they workthrough the program with "fun-to-solve cases and missions to complete at home with anadult." 

It’s multi-media program that has it all: - Video tape: "What You Can’t See Can Hurt You" introduces the relationship    between bacteria and foodborne illness.
- Audio tape: "The Handwashing Rap," is a useful tool for getting the kids to    wash their hands for 20 seconds.

The curriculum kit also comes with a teacher guide, learning activities and posters.The cost is $60.

In addition, a computer game called "Risk Raiders" allows student detectivesto practice food safety behaviors as they solve three food-related missions. The cost is$30. For more information contact:

Pat Hammerschmidt  Extension Home Economics  103 Human Ecology  Michigan State University  East Lansing, MI 48824-1030  phone: 517/355-6586  fax: 517/353-6343

**news briefs**
**In Case You’ve Missed It--Check Out the 1997 FDA Food Code**
The code offers model requirements for states and jurisdictions with responsibility forretail food inspection.

The 1997 version is the third edition since FDA consolidated and significantly revisedthe code in 1993. To gain more uniform adoption, FDA has been working with the Conferencefor Food Protection as well as other organizations and industry groups to come up withconsensus recommendations.

A new element to the 1997 code is a subpart addressing special requirements for highlysusceptible populations. While many of these provisions existed in previous codes, this isthe first time FDA has clearly delineated safeguards for people who face increased risksfrom foodborne illness including the elderly, immune compromised--especially those innursing homes and hospitals--and preschool children in day care.

Four-color, spiral-bound copies of the 400-page 1997 Food Code are available from theNational Technical Information Center for $35. Call 

800/553-6847. The code is also available on disc for $35 and on CD-ROM for $60.
Child Care: Making Food Healthy & Safe
This FREE 80-plus page publication, "Making Food Healthy and Safe," does agreat job of providing clear and easy- to-use-information for child care providers.Graphically presented, with lots of charts and tips, the publication manages to highlightkey information while also covering topics in depth.

Topics include safe food handling and sanitation as well as nutritional guidelines forinfants and young children. There’s a menu planning checklist, snack ideas and tipsfor serving food, as well as teaching children about food. 

This pub was produced by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services. It is based on the "National Health and Safe PerformanceStandards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs."

The new pub--as well the performance standards--are available free from:

National Maternal and Child Health Clearinghouse2070 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 450Vienna, VA 22182-2536Fax: 703/821-2098
**Arabic*Chinese* ENGLISH FrenchGerman *Italian**PORTUGUESE*Spanish**
Believe it or not, you can get "the golden rules of safe food preparation" inall of these languages. The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the rules andpublishes them as wallcharts--and they are available free. The rules include advice aboutcooking thoroughly, safe food storage, re-heating of cooked foods, handwashing andcross-contamination. (Temperatures are in Celsius, so you’ll need to modify.)

WHO also has advice for food handlers called "Hygiene in Food Service and MassCatering Establishments." It’s available as a leaflet or wallchart. It comes inArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish.

For copies, write:

Food Safety Unit  WHO  1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland   Fax: +41 22 791 0746

For Internet access, check out the WHO web site: *http://www.who.ch*.There’s a lot of interesting information there. Other WHO publications, food safetyreports and fact sheets as well as news releases are also posted.
Coming in December: 12th National Conference on Chronic Disease Preventionand Control
The 1997 conference, to be held here in Washington, D.C. Dec. 3-5, will focus onapproaches for reducing the health and economic burden of chronic disease.

It’s co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and theAssociation of State and Territorial Chronic Disease Program Directors. For registrationinformation, call 1-800-772-8232.
Reader Response: FAX BACK    (202)720-9063
We're interested in your comments, questions, suggestions    for new topics. Jot them down and fax them in, attention: Editor, F.S.E.
 
**USDA's Food Safety and Consumer Education Staff**
F.S.E.

The Educator is produced by the Food Safety and Consumer    Education Staff of FSIS. For more than 15 years, staff educators have been working with    researchers, scientists and marketing and design experts to product educational materials    including print, video and teleconferencing services.
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**For Further Information Contact:**FSIS Food Safety Education StaffDianne Durant, EditorPhone: (202) 720-7943Fax: (202) 720-9063

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