Food Safety Education Month

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
There is currently no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food. Get answers to other questions about COVID-19 and food from CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

September is National Food Safety Education Month. Learn how to be a food safety superhero! Take steps to help prevent food poisoning, and show others how to keep food safe.

Every year, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from eating contaminated food. Anyone can get sick from a foodborne illness (also called food poisoning). But some groups of people are more likely to get sick and to have a more serious illness. These groups are:

Adults aged 65 and older
Children younger than 5
People with health problems or who take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness
Pregnant women

There are things you can do to protect yourself and your family. As you prepare and handle food, follow these four steps:

Clean: Wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces often when you cook.
Separate: Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread germs. Separate them from cooked food and fresh produce.
Cook: Use a food thermometer to make sure foods are cooked to an internal temperature that kills germs.
Chill: Refrigerate perishable foodsexternal icon and leftovers within two hours. Chill within one hour if it’s above 90°F.

Join us in sharing information about the four steps to food safety. Let’s make sure everyone knows how to protect themselves and their loved ones from food poisoning.