========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 16:40:31 -0500 Reply-To: EdNet@FOODSAFETY.GOV Sender: National Food Safety Educator's Network From: EDNET@FOODSAFETY.GOV Subject: EdNet Update March 2001 * * * * National Food Safety Educator's Network * * * * * * * * EdNet-L@foodsafety.gov * * * * EdNet is an electronic newsletter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), providing updates on food safety activities to educators and others concerned about food safety. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ IN THIS ISSUE FIGHT BAC!(TM) RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS NEWS FROM THE USDA/FDA FOODBORNE ILLNESS EDUCATION INFORMATION CENTER MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES SPECIAL INTEREST - Foot and Mouth Disease INDUSTRY INFO FEEDBACK SUBSCRIBE FIGHT BAC!(tm) Create a Seasonal Food Safety Campaign! Click on the Fight BAC!(tm) Tools button on the Fight BAC!(tm) Web site for "virtual" toolboxes full of resources to help you implement effective outreach programs and educate consumers about food safety. Choose from a variety of great seasonal and holiday toolboxes including spring and summer! Food Safety Fact Sheets! Visit the Fight BAC!(tm) Web (Tools button) for Food Safety Fact sheets: Clean, Cook, Chill, Cross-contamination and Egg Facts. http://www.fightbac.org E-mail: fightbaced@mindspring.com RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS Coordinate a Thermy(tm) event. To all educators and subscribers: If you would like to plan a food thermometer education event for your class, school, church, grocery store or other community organization, USDA/FSIS can help you coordinate your local event. The Food Safety Education Staff can help provide you with TV and radio Thermy(TM) promotions, sample news releases, give-aways, a CD-ROM for your local printer to personalize your Thermy(TM) materials, contacts or leads in your area, grocery chains, kitchen and department stores, and thermometer companies that can help donate sample food thermometers for your efforts. Spring barbecues, cook outs, and family picnics are right around the corner. Remind your students, staff, friends, and families to buy and use a food thermometer! Remember, Thermy(TM) says: "It's Safe to Bite When the Temperature is Right!" Contact the Thermy(TM) program coordinator at fsis.outreach@fsis.usda.gov. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/thermy New! "Cooking for Groups-A Volunteer's Guide to Food Safety" Whether preparing food for a family reunion or a community gathering, people who are great cooks at home don't necessarily know how to safely prepare and store large quantities of food for large groups. For this reason, USDA's FSIS' Food Safety Education Staff has developed "Cooking for Groups--A Volunteer's Guide to Food Safety." This colorful, 40 page "Guide" will take consumers through the steps necessary to prepare and serve food for a safe and successful event. The "Guide" has been distributed widely to cooperative extension agents, health educators and other information multipliers. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/cfg/cfg.htm Updated FDA Consumer Advisory on Risks of Mercury in Fish (March 2001) The FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's Consumer Advisory entitled "An Important Message for Pregnant Women and Women of Childbearing Age Who May Become Pregnant About the Risks of Mercury in Fish" has been updated. Seafood can be an important part of a balanced diet for pregnant women. It is a good source of high quality protein and other nutrients and is low in fat. However, some fish contain high levels of a form of mercury called methyl mercury that can harm an unborn child's developing nervous system if eaten regularly. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg.html New Food Safety Program for Seniors -- Now available on the Web "To Your Health! Food Safety for Seniors" is a new food safety education program designed especially for seniors, preparing and eating food - from the way food is produced and distributed, to the way it is prepared and eaten. Produced by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration, the package includes a 14-minute video and a 17-page four-color publication printed in 14-point type. Single copies of the publication are available from the Federal Consumer Information Center. Write: Federal Consumer Information Center Item# 596H Pueblo, CO 81009 You can also access the publication on the Web. http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/sr2.html National Food Safety Education Month (SM) - September 2001 Planning for National Food Safety Education Month (NFSEM)(SM) 2001 is underway. The topic this year is the final Fight BAC!(TM) message - Chill. A "cool" slogan has been developed: "Be Cool, Chill Out, Refrigerate Promptly." Stay tuned! For information about NFSEM (SM): http://www.foodsafety.gov/september CSREES Grants are Now Available The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) announced, on March 13th, the availability of grant funds and requests proposals for the Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program - National Integrated Food Safety Initiative for fiscal year (FY) 2001 to support integrated, multifunctional agricultural research, extension, and education activities that address food safety priorities in the United States. The application kits are located at the site listed below in both Word and WordPerfect formats. Please note that the closing date for applications is May 14, 2001. http://www.reeusda.gov/integrated/ Release of a FDA Backgrounder, "BSE: Background, Current Concerns, and U.S. Response" The United States has aggressive BSE surveillance and prevention programs in place. FDA's restrictions on certain animal feed ingredients and its import alerts on cattle products are a critical part of this program. In addition, USDA has an import ban on certain cattle and cattle products, and CDC has established surveillance and investigation programs for suspected human TSE cases. http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/bse.html New Issue of FDA Consumer Article Features Two Food Safety Articles "Trying to Keep 'Mad Cow Disease' Out of U.S. Herds," is an FDA article about the import restrictions and rigorous animal feed rules designed to keep BSE, and the associated human neurological disease, out of the United States. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/201_cow.html "Proposed Rules Issued for Bioengineered Foods," is an FDA article describing how producers would be required to consult with FDA at least 120 days before marketing bioengineered foods under new proposed rules. The Agency is also developing labeling guidelines. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/201_food.html CDC's MMWR Article on Blood and Hair Mercury Levels The March 2 MMWR contains an article entitled, "Blood and Hair Mercury Levels in Young Children and Women of Childbearing Age - United States, 1999." The report presents preliminary estimates of blood and hair Hg levels from the 1999 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999) and compares them with a recent toxicological review by the National Research Council (NRC). The findings suggest that mercury (Hg) levels in young children and women of childbearing age generally are below those considered hazardous. These preliminary estimates show that approximately 10% of women have Hg levels within one tenth of potentially hazardous levels indicating a narrow margin of safety for some women and supporting efforts to reduce methyl mercury exposure. CDC's NHANES is a continuous survey of the health and nutritional status of the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population with each year of data constituting a representative population sample. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5008a2.htm "Food Safety Educator" The "Food Safety Educator" is a free quarterly newsletter that reports on new food safety educational programs and materials as well as emerging science concerning food safety risks. The latest issue of the "Food Safety Educator" (Vol. 5, No.4) is off the press! Articles in this issue focus on "The Power of Partnering" and include highlights from last fall's Food Safety Education Satellite Video Teleconference. You can receive a free video of the teleconference as well as a free copy of "Using Partnerships to Fight BAC!(tm)--A Workbook for Local Food Safety Educators." To receive either the video or the workbook, e-mail your request-with your name and mailing address to: E-mail: fsis.outreach@usda.gov To FAX a request: 202/720-9062 To download the pdf file of the workbook: http://www.fightbac.org For "Food Safety Educator" subscription information and to access the publication on-line: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/educator/educator.htm NEWS FROM THE USDA/FDA FOODBORNE ILLNESS EDUCATION INFORMATION CENTER On-line Training Manuals and Guides Highlights of some food safety training manuals and guides that can be found on-line: Diagnosis & Management of Foodborne Illnesses: A Primer for Physicians (American Medical Association) http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/3629.html On-line Food Safety Training Manual (University of Florida) http://www.foodsafety.ufl.edu/educate/train/toptrain.htm Good Learners Need Good Food - A Reference Guide for School Food Service (PA Dept. of Agriculture) http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Agriculture/bureaus/food_safety/school_food_service/index.html Chef Mars Kitchen Training Manual http://www.webcom.com/mars/kit_manual/manual.html Training Program for the Professional Food Service Sanitarian (MI Dept. of Agriculture) http://www.mda.state.mi.us/food/sanitarian/training/index.htm Safe Aid - A Food Safety Training Program for Food Banks (Montana State University Extension) http://www.montana.edu/wwwnutr/extension/safeaid/safeaid.htm Sanitation Techniques for the Food Service Worker (Maricopa County, Arizona Environmental Health Div.) http://www.maricopa.gov/envsvc/ENVHLTH/FDWKR/Engbook.pdf (English) http://www.maricopa.gov/envsvc/ENVHLTH/FDWKR/Spanbook.pdf (Spanish) Serving It Safe: A Manager's Toolkit (USDA Team Nutrition) http://schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov:8001/Safety/safe.html The above Web sites and more can be found at the center's Food Safety Index at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodborne/fbindex/index.htm For more food safety information, visit the center's Web site at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/foodborne MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES CDC Sponsors Public Health Grand Rounds "Preparing for West Nile Virus: Will Your Community Be Next?" Date: May 23, 2001 Time: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. (EST) You are invited to participate in a national live satellite broadcast and web cast to discuss the emerging risks of West Nile Virus. Continuing education credit will be offered for various professions based on one hour of instruction. An on-line registration and evaluation must be completed to receive the appropriate continuing education credit. Registration for this program, which began in mid-March, will only be available on-line. If you do not have Internet access, please seek assistance from a public resource such as a library. Target Audience: public health leaders, managers, and professionals from local and state health departments, federal agencies, hospitals, clinics, academic institutions, managed care organizations, and others who seek to increase awareness of the factors contributing to West Nile Virus and the public health response. Sponsors: School of Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention To register and for more information, call 919-966-2248, e-mail or visit: GrandRounds@sph.unc.edu http://www.PublicHealthGrandRounds.unc.edu Public Meeting to Address Codex Committee on Food Labeling Agenda Issues on the agenda for the twenty-ninth session of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling will be discussed at a public meeting on April 11, 2001. The meeting will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p. m. in Room 1813, Federal Office Building 8, Food and Drug Administration, 200 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20204. USDA/FSIS Press Release: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/news/2001/codex0314.htm SPECIAL INTEREST - Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)...In the News! Government agency Web pages for information on the disease: USDA: http://www.usda.gov/special/fmd/fmd.html USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/fmd/index.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel information: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/fmd-europe-mar2001.htm 800 Number for Questions about BSE and FMD! USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Emergency Operations Center has established a temporary 800 number to answer questions about Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). 800/601-9327 (8:00-5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) INDUSTRY INFO FSIS' New Proposed Food Safety Regulation Washington, Feb. 20, 2001-The U.S. Department of Agriculture submitted to the Federal Register a proposed regulation to help prevent contamination by Listeria and other harmful pathogens. This regulation would require meat and poultry establishments to conduct food contact surface testing for generic Listeria or address post-lethality contamination in their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/ProposedRules.htm HHS and USDA Listeria Risk Assessment and Listeria Action Plan-NOTICE: EXTENSION OF COMMENT PERIOD Washington, January 18, 2001-- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service released a draft risk assessment of the potential relative risk of listeriosis from eating certain ready-to-eat foods--as well as an Action Plan designed to reduce the risk of foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes. THE COMMENT PERIOD HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL MAY 21, 2001. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/E00-048N.htm Agricultural Outlook Forum: 2001 Agricultural Outlook Forum 2001 was held February 22-23, in Arlington, VA. Included in the program was a presentation entitled "Reducing the Risk of Foodborne Illness" which included speeches on the topics of risk assessment, management, communication and reduction. To access the Outlook Forum program and speeches on the Web, visit the site listed below and scroll down to "Reducing the Risk of Foodborne Illness." http://www.usda.gov/oce/waob//oc2001/speeches/speechpage.htm Letter to FDA's Foods Community Regarding Biotechnology FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Premarket Approval, sent a letter regarding the updating of Internet sites of completed consultations between FDA and developers of foods derived through biotechnology. The revised Internet site regarding foods derived through biotechnology is part of CFSAN's ongoing commitment to improve public access to information through electronic dissemination. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/bioltr.html EPA Has Released the Second Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey The 1996 SDWA Amendments directed the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a survey of the infrastructure needs facing public water systems every four years - with the first report published in 1997. The second survey released in 2001 estimates that drinking water systems will need to invest $150.9 billion over a 20 year period to ensure the continued provision of safe drinking water. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/needs.html FEEDBACK If you have any comments or suggestions regarding this issue, please contact us via e-mail at: ednet@foodsafety.gov. SUBSCRIBE Please forward this issue to colleagues and friends and tell them how to subscribe. Thank you for sharing this update. 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