miércoles, 29 de junio de 2011

US launches food safety campaign to head off foodborne illnesses

A new food safety campaign has been launched in the US at a time when E. coli concerns are at an all time high.

The multimedia campaign Food Safe Families includes YouTube videos, a Facebook page and Twitter account as well as an online database with answers to 1,500 food safety questions under the persona Ask Karen. It launched June 28.
The "Check Your Steps" guide is a four-step reminder advising consumers to clean, separate, cook and chill foods properly (clean, cook, separate and chill foods properly).
The first step is to clean kitchen surfaces, utensils and hands with soap and water while preparing food. Different cutting boards should be used for handling raw meat and other foods. Experts also advise investing in a food thermometer as the most reliable way to determine if the item is safe to eat. And the final step is to chill raw and prepared foods promptly.
The public service campaign was created in joint partnership between several different departments (US Department of Agriculture's Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ad Council).
In the US, one in six people - or 48 million - fall ill due to food poisoning annually. It also kills 3,000 Americans every year.
This month, 47 people in Germany died from E. coli poisoning. The same strain sickened eight people in France and both incidents have been traced back to contaminated sprouts. On June 28, a batch of alfalfa and spicy sprouts in the US were linked to cases of Salmonella poisoning.
The Food Safe Families campaign is also available in Spanish.
Fuente: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/us-launches-food-safety-campaign-to-head-off-foodborne-illnesses-2304182.html
Aporte: Paula Ponzano Quintanar

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