Be Safe Food

The Core Four Practices
Right now, there may be an invisible enemy ready to strike. He's called BAC (bacteria) and he can make people sick. In fact, even though consumers can't see BAC - or smell him, or feel him - he and millions more like him may already be invading food products, kitchen surfaces, knives and other utensils.
But consumers have the power to Fight BAC!® and to keep food safe from harmful bacteria. It's as easy as following these four simple steps:
CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces often
SEPARATE: Don't cross-contaminate!
COOK: Cook to proper temperature
CHILL: Refrigerate promptly
Download the Be Food Safe Brochures for all the lessons and for a chart of safe cooking temperatures.

Be Food Safe is a joint program of the USDA and the Partnership for Food Safety Education.


Introducing: Be Food Safe
Research findings by the Partnership for Food Safety Education reveal that despite the fact that a majority of adults feel confident they understand and follow food handling procedures, a sizeable number do not consistently follow certain safe food handling practices.
Some examples:
Only about 15% of people consistently use a food thermometer. Using a food thermometer is important — you can't tell food is cooked safely by how it looks.
Suppliers
As a food or consumer products company you should consider joining with the more than 40 leading retailers that have already licensed Be Food Safe for in-store programming.
In Partnership testing of the platform, 70% of people surveyed said seeing the Be Food Safe logo on food products and in-store makes them feel more positive about the manufacturer or store.
Retailers
Over 75% of shoppers believe food-related illness is a serious threat to their health. Many believe the threat is greater today than in the past.
In a recent survey by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), shoppers saying they were mostly or completely confident in the food safety provided by the industry dropped 16 percentage points from 2006 to 2007.
The non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education creates consumer and retailer tools that teach basic safe food handling and prevention of foodborne illness in the home. members



Be Food Safe Retail Produce Icon 6
For BE FOOD SAFE Licensees Only!
Activity Sheets 20
Here you will find coloring pages for kids and one-page downloadable activity sheets for young people developed by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Brochures and Flyers 19
Find and download the "greatest hits" Fight BAC!® documents here: the Fight BAC!® basic brochure (b&w or color); Ten Least Wanted Pathogens; Consumer Guide on Ground Meat and Poultry and many others.
E-cards 8
Are you a BAC Fighter? BAC Fighters teach that cook, clean, chill and separate are the first line of defense in fighting foodborne illness at home, work and school. When you sign up to be a BAC Fighter you will receive monthly e-cards like these. Cut and paste these e-cards into your emails or publications.
Graphics 0
Fact Sheets 10
Find the popular Fight BAC!® color and b&w fact sheets here: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill are your first line of defense against foodborne illness!
Logos 7
Fight BAC!® campaign logos and graphics for use in your efforts to educate consumers about the importance of safe food handling.
Newsletters 1
Presentations 8
These PowerPoint presentations were developed by the Partnership for use by food safety educators, retailers, and others who need an off-the-shelf tool to teach about the importance of safe handling of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Audio 2
Video 6
Fight BAC!® public service announcements and television clips.
Spanish Resources 15