According to a June 1998 consumer poll by the Food and Drug Administration, the number of people who identify the incidence of foodborne illness in the home has increased by almost 25% in the last five years. While it's encouraging that more consumers recognize the important role they play in preventing foodborne illness, people still have a lot to learn. Consider the following:

• What do people consider to be the most important things to do in the kitchen to keep food safe from germs? 84% said washing hands/surfaces, but only 28% named cooking food properly, 23% said washing fruits and vegetables, and a mere 11% said separating, not cross contaminating. (Source: Food Marketing Institute, 1998)
  
• There may be a gender gap: more women than men correctly knew to wash hands/surfaces (87% women, 74% men), but more men than women knew to cook food properly (33% men, 27 % women). (Source: Food Marketing Institute, 1998)
  
• Only one-third of consumers know that ground beef needs to reach 160°F to ensure that bacteria is destroyed. The remaining two-thirds answered incorrectly 250°F (34%), 125°F (16%) or 90°F (9%). (Source: American Meat Institute, 1996) And why don't people know about the correct temperature? Because they're not using a thermometer. According to a recent poll, only 22% of consumers regularly use a thermometer when cooking roasts, 6% when cooking chicken and only 3% when cooking hamburgers. Additionally, only 47% of consumers own a thermometer. (Source: Food and Drug Administration, 1998)
  
• And speaking of temperature, a direct observation of some consumers' kitchens revealed that 23% of consumers' refrigerators are too warm -- 45°F or warmer. The proper temperature for a home refrigerator is 40°F. (Source: Audits International, 1998)