USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service | FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
September is

National Food Safety Education Month®

Background

September marks the thirteenth annual National Food Safety Education Month®, one of the activities supported by the National Food Safety Program. The goals of the Month are:

Restaurants and foodservice operations, hospitality associations, colleges and universities, federal, state, and local government agencies, and consumer organizations across the country participate in National Food Safety Education Month in a variety of ways each year.

September 2007 Activities

BAC and hand washing

Theme:
Foodborne Pathogens: Your Family's Health is in Your Hands (Consumer)
Viruses: They're in Your Hands (Retail)


NFSEM Archives

September 2006 Activities

NFSEM

Theme:
Don't Compromise - Clean and Sanitize


September 2005 Activities

soap dispenser

Theme:
Keep Hands Clean with Good Hygiene


September 2004 Activities

NFSEM

Theme:
Be aware when you prepare.


September 2003 Activities

NFSEM

Theme:
Store It. Don't Ignore It.


September 2002 Activities

2002 logo - Four Steps to Food Safety

Theme:
Four Steps to Food Safety (Consumer)
CHECK IT OUT before you check it in (Retail)


National Food Safety Education Month® is sponsored by the National Restaurant Assocation Educational Foundation's International Food Safety Council, an initiative focused on heightening the awareness of the importance of food safety education to the restaurant and foodservice industry and supported by many public and private sector organizations. The consumer theme for 2002-2003 is "Four Steps to Food Safety." The theme for retail establishments is "CHECK IT OUT before you check it in."

September 2001 Activities

2001 logo - Cartoon of a refrigerator.

Theme:
Be Cool. Chill Out -
Refrigerate Promptly.


September 2000 Activities

2000 logo - Separate cutting boards.

Theme:
Be Smart. Keep Foods Apart -
Don't Cross-Contaminate.


Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria to food from other foods, cutting boards, utensils, etc., if they are not handled properly. An example of cross-contamination is cutting raw meat or fish on a cutting board and then slicing salad vegetables on the same cutting board without first washing it. Research shows that cross-contamination is a contributing factor in many foodborne disease outbreaks.

September 1999 Activities

1999 logo - Cooking thermometer.

Theme:
Cook it Safely -
It's a Matter of Degrees


September 1998 Activities

Fight BAC! Keep Food Safe From Bacteria.

Theme:
Keep It Clean -
The First Step to Food Safety


September 1997 Activities

Gateway to Government Food Safety Information



National Food Safety Education Month® is sponsored by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's International Food Safety Council, an initiative focused on heightening the awareness of the importance of food safety education to the restaurant and foodservice industry and supported by many public and private sector organizations.