========================================================================= Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 09:40:10 EDT Reply-To: EdNet@FOODSAFETY.GOV Sender: National Food Safety Educator's Network From: EDNET@FOODSAFETY.GOV Organization: National Food Safety Educator's Network Subject: EdNet Update 08/99 * * * * 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 HOT OFF THE PRESS FIGHT BAC!(TM) RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE NEWS FROM THE USDA/FDA FOODBORNE ILLNESS EDUCATION INFORMATION CENTER PUBLICATIONS INDUSTRY INFO WORDS TO KNOW FEEDBACK SUBSCRIBE HOT OFF THE PRESS Celebrate September - Food Safety Education Month The Consumer Education Planning Guide for Food Safety is NOW available. "Cook It Safely" is the theme for September, National Food Safety Education Month. Together the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration are joining with the restaurant and foodservice industry to invite you to participate in celebrating this year's theme to educate the public about safe food preparation. Check out the contents page for ideas to promote National Food Month. Included is a sample proclamation for local use, sample logos and artwork, and many brochures such as Fight BAC!(TM) in English, Spanish, and Chinese, "Cook It Safely -- Use a Food Thermometer," "Playing It Safe With Eggs," and puzzles and games to help support your activity or local community event! Start now! Pass this information on to other educators and team up! Let us know your plans! And give us your feedback! http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/fs-mon99.html FIGHT BAC!(TM) BAC--A Hit with School Food Service BAC travelled to Denver, Colorado, where he marvelled thousands of school food service employees attending the American School Food Service Association's Annual Meeting, July 26-28. USDA staffed the booth for the Partnership for Food Safety Education. Fight BAC!(TM) materials couldn't be handed out fast enough, including complimentary copies of the new curriculum for grades 4-6, "Your Game Plan for Food Safety." Many school managers loved the posters, BAC catchers, and video. Some said they plan to buy the BAC puppet for training other food service employees as well as students. Delighted with their new tools, school directors look forward to teaming with teachers to provide the link between the cafeteria and the classroom. http://www.fightbac.org/new/index.html BAC is on the Go! Look for BAC at these upcoming conventions/annual meetings: National Leadership Conference on August 24 - 28 Coordinated School Programs Atlanta, Georgia International Food Service Expo September 9 - 12 Orlando, Florida 41st Session of WHO/PAHO September 27 - October 1 San Juan, Puerto Rico American Dietetics Assoiciation October 18 - 21 Atlanta, Georgia National Association of October 31 - November 4 Extension Home Economists Greensboro, North Carolina http://www.fightbac.org Last Days of Summer Food Safety Tips Are you enjoying those last days of summer? Looking forward to the Labor Day vacation? Be sure BAC (bacteria, that is) doesn't accompany you on your last boating or camping trips! Be sure your lunch is packed properly and that family and friends prepare your food with food safety in mind! Don't spoil your Labor Day vacation! Here are flyers from the Fight BAC!(TM) Virtual Toolbox to keep you clear sailing! http://www.fightbac.org/toolbox/lunchflyer.html http://www.fightbac.org/toolbox/campingflyer.html http://www.fightbac.org/toolbox/boatingflyer.html Get Your Fight BAC!(TM) T-shirts! Order now for your Fight BAC!(TM) events! The BAC Store offers new items to help spread the word! Shop for T-shirts (only $10.00), plastic tote bags with the Fight BAC!(TM) logo on both sides (available in quantity), and of course, the Fight BAC!(TM) puppet that everyone loves ($15.00)! Stock up on mugs, aprons, patches, bookmarks, and stickers for educational activities or events planned in your community, school, classroom, or just to have at home or office! http://www.fightbac.org/bacstore/catalog.html RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS NFSMI Presents Interactive Teleconference The National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) presents a live and interactive teleconference entitled "Food Safety: It's in Your Hands," on August 25, 1999, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. EST. The purpose of this food safety teleconference is to provide an opportunity for school food and nutrition program staff to learn more about food safety issues and the prevention of foodborne illness. The target audience is food service personnel in schools and in child care programs. The coordinates for this teleconference are: C Band Coordinates GE 1, 103 degrees West Transponder/Channel 16 Downlink Frequency: 4020 Mhz Polarity: Vertical Audio: 6.20 and 6.80 Mhz KU Band Coordinates SBS 6, 74 degrees West Transponder/Channel 2 Downlink Frequency: 11750 Mhz Polarity: Vertical Audio: 6.20 and 6.80 Mhz The audience will have the opportunities to direct questions to panel members. Questions may be submitted in advance and during the teleconference by: E-mail: nfsmi@olemiss.edu Voice: 1-800-321-3054 FAX: 1-800-321-3061 Please be sure to reference "Food Safety Teleconference Questions". Follow-up Chat Session (Thursday, August 26, 1999, 2-4 pm. Eastern) Participants will also have the opportunity to chat with NFSMI staff and panel members about issues related to the teleconference. It is recommended for participants to access the chat room in advance to establish a user name and password for the chat session. For more information or to access the chat room, visit the NFSMI Web site at: http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/nfsmi USDA Food Safety Research Funding Available The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) has funding in FY 1999 for cooperative agreements to study the consumer benefits of improving food safety. Proposals may be submitted by any State agricultural experiment station, college, university, other research institution or organization, corporation, or individual. The application deadline for the research grants has been extended to September 1, 1999. The purpose of the program is to estimate the benefits of reducing foodborne health risks, determine the benefits and costs of public and private efforts to reduce these risks, and evaluate the methods used in economic studies of interventions designed to improve food safety. Funding levels accepted are between $100,000 and $200,000 each year for the duration of the project (not to exceed 3 years). For additional information, contact Ms. Roberta Atkinson, USDA/ERS, at 202-694-5688, or E-mail: ratkinson@econ.ag.gov. Information on the proposal can be downloaded on ERS's Web site at: http://www.econ.ag.gov/briefing/foodsafe/FSRP.HTM Healthy People 2000: Progress Review Satellite Teleconference The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will host a live satellite teleconference entitled, "Healthy People 2000: Food and Drug Safety Progress Review," on Wednesday, September 1, 1999, from 2 - 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Featured on the teleconference will be Dr. David Satcher, U.S. Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary of Health, Dr. Linda Suydam, Senior Associate Commissioner, FDA, and Thomas Billy, Administrator, USDA/FSIS. Healthy People 2000 is a cooperative federal-state-private sector initiative to improve the health of all Americans through prevention. The Department of Health and Human Services, along with USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, and state and local health departments have been working with groups throughout the country to help meet these Healthy People 2000 goals: increase the span of healthy life; reduce health disparities; and achieve access to preventive services. In this televised discussion, government officials, consumer leaders, and private sector experts will talk about the status of food and drug safety objectives for Healthy People 2000: 2:00 - 2:45 p.m. * Assuring that consumers receive useful information with new prescriptions * Assuring that health care providers report serious adverse events 2:45 - 4:00 p.m. * Reducing foodborne illnesses * Increasing the use of basic food safety techniques when cooking at home * Improving food safety in restaurants, stores, and institutions Updates on other important food safety and drug safety initiatives will also be provided. SATELLITE - To see the broadcast, tune to Galaxy 6, located at 99W, Transponder 22, C-Band. Frequency 4140 MHz vertical. Test signal 1-2 p.m. EDT. Show time is 2-4 p.m. EDT. The September 1, 1999, Healthy People 2000 Teleconference will be closed-captioned. Tapes will be available through the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. During the broadcast, questions may be phoned in at: 1-800-527-1401 or FAXed to 1-888-361-4011. http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/health2k.html NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE National School Food Safety Council School food safety is an emerging priority of the federal government's National Food Safety Initiative. To address this priority, the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in coordination with the Partnership for Food Safety Education, USDA, and FDA, convenes bimonthly meetings of the National School Food Safety Working Group (NSFS). Participants represent both nongovernmental organizations and government agencies. The group's purpose is to share information about school food safety, disseminate information to constituents, explore opportunities for interagency collaboration and coordination, and develop plans to reduce foodborne illness in schools. Target audiences include agencies and organizations that are engaged in or planning school food safety activities or represent school boards, administrators, principals, teachers, foodservice workers, nurses, parents, and students. For more information about DASH's school food safety activities, contact David DeLozier at 770-488-3029 or E-mail dgd0@cdc.gov. Joint Institute's Report to the President On July 3, 1998, President Clinton directed the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop a plan to create a Joint Institute for Food Safety Research (the Institute or JIFSR) and to issue a report within 90 days. The Institute is to (1) coordinate planning and priority setting for food safety research among the two Departments, other government agencies, and the private sector and (2) foster effective translation of research results into practice along the farm-to-table continuum. This report articulates the concept of the Institute, describes goals and the administrative principles underlying its organization, presents a proposed structure for the Institute, and a draft time line for its implementation. DHHS and USDA will have joint leadership of the Institute and will use existing resources to support it. This acknowledgment of the critical need to expand and coordinate food safety research also emphasizes the companion needs to expand and strengthen public- private partnerships and to augment collaboration among state, local, and other Federal agencies, thereby effectively providing the scientific information required to help achieve public health goals. http://www.foodsafety.gov/~dms/jifsrrp2.html NEWS FROM THE USDA/FDA FOODBORNE ILLNESS EDUCATION INFORMATION CENTER Each issue of EdNet highlights an interesting item from the USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Materials Database. Food Safety Can Be Fun In this video, learning about food safety is fun. As part of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's series, "Street Sense for Tough Consumers," this fast-paced video is geared towards children ages 12 to 17. It moves back and forth between several skits. For example, one of the characters goes home to mom's for dinner, bringing with him the local health inspector to check out mom's food preparation techniques. Just what mom always wanted. Other food safety topics include thawing, refrigerating, and hand washing. The package ($15) includes an educator's guide with student activities. Order from: Ontario Agri-Food Education, Inc. P.O. Box 460 8560 Tremaine Road Milton, Ontario, Canada L9T 4Z1 Phone: 905-878-1510 FAX: 905-878-0342 E-mail: resource@oafe.org http://www.oafe.org/index.htm To learn about other food safety training materials, visit the Center's Web site at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodborne/foodborn.htm PUBLICATIONS "Does Washing Food Promote Food Safety?" This food safety feature is now available from USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service. Historically, we equate washing to cleanliness. We wash clothes, linens, cars, dishes, and ourselves. So, it is logical that many people believe meat and poultry can be made cleaner and safer by washing it. Is it true? Does washing meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, and vegetables make them safer to eat? Topics addressed in this feature include cross-contamination, washing or soaking meat and poultry, washing eggs, and washing produce. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/washing.htm "Food Safety While Hiking, Camping, and Boating" Check out yet another food safety feature from FSIS. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/hcb.htm Changes in National Notification Diseases Data Presentation This issue of MMWR incorporates modifications to Tables I and II, Cases of Notifiable Diseases, United States. This year, the modifications will add diseases recently designated nationally notifiable by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, in conjunction with CDC, and highlight diseases commonly transmitted through food and water. MMWR, June 04, 1999 / 48(21); 447-448. http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4821a4.htm FDA Advises Consumers of Risks Associated with Raw Sprouts Since 1995, raw sprouts have emerged as a recognized source of foodborne illness in the United States. These illnesses have involved the pathogenic bacteria Salmonella and E. coli O157. Alfalfa and clover sprouts have been involved most often, but all raw sprouts may pose a risk. Because of reports of increasing numbers of illnesses associated with consumption of raw sprouts, the Food and Drug Administration is advising all persons to be aware of the risks associated with eating raw sprouts (e.g., alfalfa, clover, radish). Outbreaks have affected men, women, and children. Those persons who wish to reduce the risk of foodborne illness from sprouts are advised not to eat raw sprouts. This advice is particularly important for children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems, all of whom are at high risk of developing serious illness due to foodborne disease. People in high risk categories should not eat raw sprouts. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/hhssprts.html INDUSTRY INFO FSIS Updates Generic HACCP Models The Generic HACCP Models have been updated (May 1999) and are now available on the FSIS Web site. All the documents are in PDF format, so Adobe Acrobat Reader is required, and the files should be printed using the Adobe print button (not the browser's print button). The list of available models is found at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/haccp/models.htm U.S. Regulatory Requirements for Irradiating Foods Now Available Now available is the text of a May 1999 speech delivered by George H. Paula, Office of Premarket Approval, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration( FDA), on the subject of food irradiation regulation requirements. This document states irradiating a food is illegal unless it is done in accordance with a regulation authorizing processing and with all other requirements of a variety of laws such as the Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the Federal Meat Inspection Act. Also, the use of a source of radiation to process or otherwise treat a food must conform to an authorizing regulation based on a demonstration of safety under the conditions of irradiation. A food that has been irradiated must be so labeled, as specified by regulation, although this requirement must have been tested and shown to FDA's satisfaction for that use. httP://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa-rdtk.html WORDS TO KNOW Each issue of EdNet will highlight a glossary of food safety education terms to know. Incidence: the number of new cases of foodborne illness in a given population during a specified period of time (e.g., the number of new cases per 100,000 population per year). Outbreak: an incident in which two or more people experience the same illness after eating the same food. Spore: a thick-walled protective structure produced by certain bacteria and fungi to protect their cells. Spores often survive cooking, freezing, and some sanitizing measures. Toxins: poisons that are produced by microorganisms, carried by fish or released by plants. Examples: Botulism caused by the toxin from Clostridium botulinum, scromboid poisoning from the naturally occurring scromboid toxin in some improperly refrigerated fish, such as mackeral and tuna. FEEDBACK We want to hear from you. What topics of interest would you like us to include in future issues? If you have any comments or suggestions regarding this issue, please contact us via e-mail at: ednet@foodsafety.gov. 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