Public Education Campaign Shows How To Keep Foods Safe From Harmful Bacteria

CITY, DATE - As a result of a public education campaign called Fight BAC!®, AREA residents will become increasingly aware of an invisible enemy - bacteria - which may be on their food, hands or in their kitchens. (ORGANIZATION) has joined national industry, government, and consumer groups in this effort and will be working to spread the word that "BAC" is out there but can be stopped through some simple food handling and storage steps.

(ORGANIZATION) is urging people to Fight BAC!® to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, a serious public health problem. Although the exact incidence of foodborne illness in the U.S. is unknown, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 5,000 deaths and 76 million illnesses each year are directly linked to foodborne pathogens.

At the same time, food safety experts report that most food-related illness can be reduced. Consumers can protect themselves and their families from getting sick by following some basic rules for handling food safely at home.

"(ORGANIZATION) is proud to be part of this major food safety initiative," said (SPOKESPERSON). "Foodborne bacteria have no smell and cannot be seen or felt but can lead to serious illness. Even as industry and government step up their food safety activities, we all need to understand that we play an important role in ensuring the safety of the foods we eat," (HE/SHE) added.

Besides introducing people to BAC and his devious ways, the Fight BAC!® campaign raises public awareness about four ways that consumers can reduce their risk of foodborne illness:  

Clean - Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. Wash utensils and surfaces with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food. Using a disinfectant cleaner or a diluted mixture of bleach and water on surfaces can provide some added protection.

Separate - Keep raw meat, poultry, eggs and seafood and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods; never place cooked food on an unwashed plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, eggs or seafood.

Cook - Cook food to a safe internal temperature (this varies for different cuts and types of meat and poultry) and check for doneness with a food thermometer. Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm.

Chill - Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours and make sure the refrigerator is set at no higher than 40°F and that the freezer unit is set at 0°F.  Use an appliance thermometer to monitor the temperature of your refrigerator. 

To communicate these food safety basics, (ORGANIZATION) has joined with over 2000 national organizations as "BAC Fighters" to bring the message of safe food handling to every town and local community. This means introducing citizens to BAC, the green, slimy looking creature which represents the invisible enemy, namely foodborne bacteria. "The BAC character puts a face on foodborne bacteria, which helps Americans remember that we have the power to control bacteria in our home kitchens," (SPOKESPERSON) said.

(ORGANIZATION'S) campaign is part of a nationwide food safety education effort spearheaded by the Partnership for Food Safety Education, a unique public-private partnership committed to reducing foodborne illness through ongoing education about safe food handling practices.

The Partnership for Food Safety Education unites industry associations, consumer and public health groups and the United States Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, to educate the public about safe food handling and preparation. The Partnership, a non-profit organization, is the creator and steward of the Fight BAC!® campaign, a food safety education program developed using scientifically based recommendations and resulting from an extensive consumer research process.  Fight BAC!® materials are fully accessible online at www.fightbac.org and utilized by consumers, teachers, dietitians, public health officials and extension agents across the United States.