Survey Spotlights Public Perceptions of Food Safety

From the get-go food safety has been all about food handling and food preparation. But in case some didn’t get the memo, the International Food Information Council Foundation in 2006 endeavoured to track food-safety practices in the U.S. population amid growing food-safety incidents and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.

Because proper food and food-product handling is essential in preventing foodborne illness outbreaks, many restaurant owners now require a food handler certification or a food safety certification as a hiring requisite. Unfortunately, weak links still remain in the human food-supply chain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food contamination causes 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths each year in the United States. Yearly also, food contamination results in about a thousand foodborne disease outbreaks across America.

The landmark national study was initiated to understand how Americans view important food-safety, nutrition, and health-related topics. The overriding goal was to assemble good data to equip food-safety authorities to educate people on how to stay safe from foodborne illnesses such as E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella.

"Because only safe food can be nutritious food, this research is an important part of the applied research needed to ensure a wholesome food supply for the United States," said an article on the foundation's Food and Health Survey, 2006-2010, as quoted by foodsafetynews.com. The survey appears in the June 2012 issue of the peer-reviewed Food Protection Trends.

Among the unexpected findings of the study is the significant decline between 2006 and 1010 in the following key food-safety practices: hand washing, separating raw meat and poultry from ready-to-eat food products, washing cutting boards, cooking to required temperatures, properly storing leftovers, and following microwave cooking instructions. 

Bolstering Food Safety Effort, GMA Strengthens its Own Food-Safety Campaign

From the get-go food safety has been all about food handling and food preparation. But in case some didn’t get the memo, the International Food Information Council Foundation in 2006 endeavoured to track food-safety practices in the U.S. population amid growing food-safety incidents and outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.

Because proper food and food-product handling is essential in preventing food-borne illness outbreaks, many restaurant owners now require a ISO 22000 Certification as a hiring requisite. Unfortunately, weak links still remain in the human food-supply chain.

Safe Dining for Moms-to-Be; TABC Applies Brakes on Spring Break

Eating out means eating right. In the midst of food recalls and multi-state foodborne illness outbreaks, the injunction has never been truer—especially for pregnant moms, who must be particularly careful of what they eat because of their compromised immune systems.

That is not to say of course that moms should stop going to Taco Bell or KFC (most restaurants now require a food safety certification or a food handler certification as an employment requirement) and make do with home cooking all nine months.

MDP Budget to be Cut and New Salmonella Research May End Food Safety Problems

The federation of State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) is up in arms over federal plans to cut the Agriculture Department's whole budget of $5 million for the Microbiological Data Program (MDG), effectively eliminating the nation’s largest produce testing program. According to PIRG, MDG is responsible for screening high-risk fresh produce for pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, conducting about 15,000 random tests a year.

Lawsuit Filed Against North Carolina Restaurant as Salmonella Outbreak Expands

A lawsuit has been filed against a Charlotte, North Carolina restaurant, Toast of Dilworth, which served Eggs Benedict that apparently sickened 10 customers with Salmonella enteritidis infection. The formal complaint was made by Seattle food-safety law firm Marler Clark on behalf of Bryan McWherter, a Charlotte resident.

Because food safety depends to a large degree on proper food handling, many restaurant owners today have made a ISOcampus 22000 Training or a food safety certification an employment requirement. Much needs to be done, however, judging from the current frequency of foodborne illnesses.

New Test Kit to Hasten Salmonella Detection

To comply with the strict Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines on food safety, the FDA Food Code, North Carolina is expected to replace a dog-eared set of regulations it introduced almost a generation ago, in 1976. For the restaurant owner and workers the new, more stringent code means, for example, that restaurant employees who are sick will not be allowed to work and cooks will not be allowed to touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands.

Infographic: Five Keys To Safer Foods

Source: Five Keys to Safer Food

What to Eat When You’re Pregnant

Eating out means eating right. In the midst of food recalls and multi-state foodborne illness outbreaks, the injunction has never been truer—especially for pregnant moms, who must be particularly careful of what they eat because of their compromised immune systems.

Cleanliness Helps Prevent Foodborne Illness

With all the outbreaks that has been in the news before till now I would say let's make a change and do something. I'd like to share you guys a file that'll be really helpful in our day to day lives. You can also check out Food Safety Training to start the course.

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