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September is National Food Safety Education Month!

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.

• Safe Food Handling – Follow these four key steps to food safety.
• Food Safety in Your Kitchen – Get tips for food safe shopping, storage, and meal prep.
• People at Risk of Foodborne Illness – Learn what groups are more at risk for foodborne illnesses.
• Food Safety for Pregnant Women ­– Find food safety information for before, during, and after pregnancy.
• Everyday Food Safety for Young Adults – Learn about food safety whether you’re cooking at home, dining out, or eating ready-made meals on the go.
• Education Resource Library – Find printable educational materials, videos, and more!
• Continuing Medical Education Program – Learn how to identify, treat, and report foodborne illness.
• Science and Our Food Supply – Bring food science into your middle and high school classrooms.
• Consumer Food Safety Educator Evaluation Toolbox and Guide – Get tips, tools, and examples to plan, develop, and evaluate food safety programs and activities.

Visit https://www.foodsafety.gov/ for additional information.

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

1. 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 & your family. http://go.usa.gov/xV2YK #NFSEM
2. Remember & follow these 4 key steps from @FDAfood to follow and keep your family safer from food poisoning
   1. Clean
   2. Separate
   3. Cook
   4. Chill
      http://go.usa.gov/xV2YK #NFSEM
3. You wash apples, tomatoes & strawberries before you eat them, but what about cantaloupes, avocados & kiwi? https://go.usa.gov/xVT3t Hint: the answer is YES. #NFSEM
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. Looking for #foodsafety information? Whether a consumer, teacher of middle & 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

Sample Facebook Posts

1. Think food poisoning is just a little upset tummy & 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
2. 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/xPCJE National Food Safety Education Month

Download animated GIFs

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 & your family. http://go.usa.gov/xV2YK #NFSEM

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

💧Clean
↔️Separate
🌡️Cook
❄️Chill
http://go.usa.gov/xV2YK #NFSEM

Looking for #foodsafety 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 PDFs, printable materials, and videos. https://go.usa.gov/xPCJE #NFSEM