CHAPTER 9
Food Safety
100 | Agriculture Fact Book | Chapter 9
Food Safety and Inspection Service
■ Analyzing products for microbial and
chemical adulterants;
America’s familiarity with health risks
from foodborne microbial hazards
has increased in recent years.
Widely publicized outbreaks of
foodborne illness…have raised the
The Office of Food Safety oversees the
Food Safety and Inspection Service, the
agency within USDA responsible for ensuring the safety, wholesomeness, and
correct labeling and packaging of meat,
poultry, and egg products. FSIS operates
under the authority of the Federal Meat
Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act. FSIS sets standards for food
safety and inspects and regulates all raw
and processed meat and poultry products,
and egg products sold in interstate commerce, including imported products. FSIS
has implemented a strategy for change
to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness attributable to meat, poultry, and
egg products. The Office of Food Safety,
headed by USDA’s Under Secretary for
Food Safety, provides oversight of the
agency.
public’s concern.
In FY 2001, FSIS inspected over 8.2 billion
poultry, 140 million head of livestock,
and 4.5 billion pounds of egg products.
The activities of FSIS include:
■ Inspection of poultry and livestock, as
well as processed products made from
them;
■ Inspection of all liquid, frozen, and
dried egg products;
■ Setting food safety standards for plant
facilities, product contents, processing
procedures, packaging and labeling, and
microbial and chemical adulterants;
Table 9-1
Livestock, poultry, and egg products federally inspected in 2000 and 2001
2000
Cattle
Swine
Other livestock
Poultry
Egg products
36,239,548
93,385,041
3,915,417
8,547,271,635
5,100,000,000
Note: Fiscal years are October-September (i.e., fiscal 2001 ran Oct. 1, 2000–Sept. 30, 2001).
All numbers are rounded from original data.
2001
38,974,227
96,599,904
4,138,779
8,220,504,495
4,500,000,000
■ Conducting risk assessments, as well
as epidemiological and other scientific
studies, to estimate human health outcomes associated with the consumption
of meat, poultry, and egg products. These
risk assessments and studies provide
science-based information for risk management and communication; and
■ Educating consumers about foodborne
illness by way of publications, educational campaigns, and a toll-free, nationwide USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
(1-800-535-4555).
FSIS inspectors examine animals before
and after slaughter, preventing diseased
animals from entering the food supply
and examining carcasses for visible defects that can affect safety and quality.
Inspectors also test for the presence of
harmful pathogens and drug and chemical residues.
More than 7,600 FSIS inspectors carry out the
inspection laws in over 6,500 privately owned
meat, poultry, egg product, and other
slaughtering or processing plants in the United
States and U.S. Territories.
In addition, about 250,000 different
processed meat and poultry products
fall under FSIS inspection. These include
hams, sausages, soups, stews, pizzas,
frozen dinners, and products containing
2 percent or more cooked poultry or at
least 3 percent raw meat. In addition to
inspecting these products during processing, FSIS evaluates and sets standards for food ingredients, additives, and
compounds used to prepare and package
meat and poultry products.
As part of the inspection process, FSIS
tests for the presence of pathogens and
toxins such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcal enterotoxin in
ready-to-eat and other processed products. FSIS continues to have a zero tolerance for these pathogens in ready-to-eat
and other processed products.
Food Safety | 101
FSIS also tests for pathogens in some
raw products. In 1994, USDA declared E.
coli O157:H7 an adulterant in raw ground
beef and established a monitoring program for the pathogen. As part of the
Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems final rule, issued in July 1996, FSIS
for the first time set pathogen reduction
performance standards for Salmonella
that slaughter plants and plants producing raw ground products must meet. The
final rule also requires meat and poultry
slaughter plants to conduct microbial
testing for generic E. coli to verify the adequacy of their process controls for the
prevention of fecal contamination.
The Pathogen Reduction/HACCP rule: (1)
requires all meat and poultry plants to
develop and implement written standard
operating procedures for sanitation
(SSOPs); (2) requires meat and poultry
slaughter plants to conduct microbial
testing for generic E. coli to verify the adequacy of their process controls for the
prevention of fecal contamination; (3)
requires all meat and poultry plants to
develop and implement a system of preventive controls, known as HACCP, to improve the safety of their products; and
(4) sets pathogen reduction performance
standards for Salmonella that slaughter
plants and plants producing raw ground
products must meet.
Imported meat and poultry are also subject to FSIS scrutiny. The agency reviews
and monitors foreign inspection systems
to ensure that they are equivalent to the
U.S. system before those countries are
allowed to export. When the products
reach the United States, products are
reinspected at 155 active import locations by inspection personnel.
The Pathogen Reduction/HACCP rule
applies to over 6,500 federally inspected
and 2,300 State-inspected slaughter and
processing plants in the United States.
Countries that export meat and poultry
products to the United States must also
meet the requirements of the final rule.
Egg products are not covered by the final
rule, but FSIS has developed a strategy
that will include HACCP to improve the
safety of eggs and egg products.
Nearly 4 billion pounds of meat and poultry
passed inspection for entry into the United
States from 33 countries during 2001.
Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
Systems—Implementation
In 2000, FSIS completed implementation
of its landmark rule, Pathogen Reduction/
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP) Systems. The rule addresses the
serious problem of foodborne illness in
the United States associated with meat
and poultry products by focusing more
attention on the prevention and reduction
of microbial pathogens on raw products
that can cause illness. It also clarifies the
respective roles of government and industry in food safety. Industry is accountable for producing safe food. Government
is responsible for setting appropriate food
safety standards, maintaining vigorous
oversight to ensure that these standards
are met, and for operating a strong enforcement program to, among other
things, deal with plants that do not
meet regulatory standards.
Implementation of HACCP in all plants
has been smooth, and the new prevention-oriented meat and poultry inspection
system continues to show improvement.
With only minor fluctuations, Salmonella
prevalences in all classes of products have
decreased to levels below the baseline
prevalence estimates determined prior to
HACCP. The decrease in the prevalence
of Salmonella in raw meat and poultry
from 1998 to 2001 is consistent with reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating a decline
in human illnesses linked to Salmonella
during the same time period. As industry
has complied with the new pathogen reduction and HACCP requirements, FSIS
is strengthening HACCP systems to more
effectively protect consumers from unsafe meat and poultry.
For more information on HACCP and
compliance, visit the FSIS Web site at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov and access
“HACCP Implementation.”
Proper design and implementation
of new food safety policies must
be based on the best available science.
This is especially important in
an international context.
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Table 9-2
Prevalence of Salmonella in the PR/HACCP Verification Testing Program
All Years 1998–2001
Product
Broilers
Market Hogs
Cows/Bulls
Steers/Heifers
Ground Beef
Ground Chicken
Ground Turkey
Base-line
Prevalence (%)
20.0
8.7
2.7
1.0
7.5
44.6
49.9
Large Establishments
# Samp % Pos
23,229
5,701
419
766
3,954
408
2,836
9.2
3.5
0.5
0.1
5.2
15.9
30.2
Small Establishments
# Samp
% Pos
7,757
4,479
4,164
1,614
48,595
536
812
Very Small Establishments
# Samp % Pos
13.7
8.6
2.0
0.4
3.8
16.0
25.6
453
6,393
1,288
1,403
22,209
53
64
34.7
4.9
3.6
0.7
2.4
11.3
28.1
All Sizes Establishments
# Samp % Pos
31,439
16,573
5,871
3,783
74,758
997
3,712
10.7
5.4
2.2
0.4
3.4
15.7
29.2
Table 9-3
Percent of Sample Sets Meeting the Salmonella Performance Standards
All Years 1998–2001
Product
Broilers
Market Hogs
Cows/Bulls
Steers/Heifers
Ground Beef
Ground Chicken
Ground Turkey
# Sets
% Pass
# Sets
% Pass
442
99
7
8
70
6
49
93.4
91.9
100.0
100.0
85.7
100.0
91.8
142
69
62
19
796
9
13
84.5
73.9
83.9
94.7
91.0
100.0
84.6
HACCP-Based Inspection Models
Project (HIMP)
In 2002, the CDC published a report that
credits the implementation of HACCP as
a major factor in the continued decline
in the incidence of foodborne illness.
However, the HACCP system does not
currently apply to all activities associated with the slaughter process, so FSIS
has developed and is testing new inspection models that employ the scientific
principles associated with Pathogen Reduction/HACCP.
HIMP is a pilot program that began in
1997 and is designed to test whether
new government slaughter inspection
procedures can be employed that improve food safety and increase consumer
protection, and that leads to the more
efficient and effective use of inspection
resources and personnel. Only meat and
poultry plants that slaughter exclusively
young, healthy, uniform animals—
market hogs, fed cattle, or young poultry
# Sets % Pass
4
49
17
4
288
1
1
25.0
77.6
76.5
100.0
95.5
100.0
100.0
# Sets % Pass
588
217
86
31
1,154
16
63
90.8
82.9
83.7
96.8
91.8
100.0
90.5
(including turkeys)—are eligible for the
project. These animals comprise nearly
90 percent of animals slaughtered in inspected establishments. Eligible plants
may volunteer to participate in the pilot
program.
Under HIMP, changes are being made in
the role of the slaughter inspector. Except
for one inspector at the end of the line,
inspectors are no longer tied to one
point on the inspection line. Instead, inspectors are free to move around the
plant and up and down the processing
line to perform verification checks and
observe operations wherever necessary.
Currently, approximately 24 establishments that slaughter young chickens,
hogs, and turkeys are participating in
the pilot project.
Under the project, FSIS has established
performance standards for food safety
and non-food safety defects, such as
bruises, (also known as “other consumer
Food Safety | 103
protections”) that volunteer plants must
meet. In order to meet these standards,
plants are extending their HACCP systems
to address the food safety conditions, and
they are developing process control plans
to address other consumer practices.
Plants are responsible for identifying and
removing meat and poultry carcasses
that do not meet these standards.
The accomplishments of the new system
must meet or exceed the accomplishments of the current system in order for
FSIS to consider the new system to be
successful. The project is being carried
out through an open public process that
allows all interested constituents the
opportunity to provide input. Data collected in the project to date, by both an
independent contractor and FSIS’ in-plant
inspectors, show improvements in both
food safety and other consumer protections. FSIS will continue to evaluate and
make improvements to HIMP. Plants that
are permitted to operate under HIMP
will be held accountable for meeting the
performance standards and all other
regulatory requirements.
Activities Related to Homeland Security
For nearly a century, FSIS has protected
consumers by ensuring that meat, poultry,
and egg products are safe, wholesome,
and accurately labeled. Although we are
now facing new threats related to intentional contamination of the food supply,
this history of dealing with food emergencies has allowed FSIS to develop the
expertise to protect our Nation’s supply
of meat, poultry, and egg products.
With a strong food safety infrastructure
already in place, USDA has been able to
focus on fortifying existing programs
and improving lines of communication
both internally and externally through
cooperation with industry, consumers,
and other government agencies.
FSIS coordinates its efforts with several
other agencies committed to preventing
biosecurity threats. FSIS works closely
with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection
Agency, as well as with State and local
health agencies to share information
about illnesses.
Emerging Issues
Over the past several years, FSIS has enhanced the public health focus of its
food safety program helping the agency
address emerging and re-emerging issues, such as E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria
monocytogenes.
E. coli O157:H7
The CDC estimates that 73,000 cases of
infection and 60 deaths occur in the
United States each year as a result of
E. coli O157:H7.
A risk assessment for E. coli O157:H7 in
ground beef was completed in September 2001 and submitted to the National
Academy of Sciences for peer review.
The risk assessment estimates the risks
of foodborne illness from the pathogen
under current baseline manufacturing
conditions and will be revised in response to comments from the peer review. When the review is completed, the
agency will use the risk assessment to
determine whether changes in its policies on E. coli O157:H7 are needed.
Listeria monocytogenes
According to the CDC, an estimated
2,500 people in the United States become
ill from Listeria monocytogenes each year,
and approximately 20 percent die as a
result of the illness.
FSIS consumer education programs
specifically target pregnant women and
newborns, older adults, and people with
weakened immune systems caused by
cancer treatments, AIDS, diabetes, kidney disease, etc., who are all at risk for
becoming seriously ill from eating foods
that contain Listeria monocytogenes.
On January 18, 2001, FDA and FSIS released a draft risk assessment of the
potential relative risk of listeriosis from
eating certain ready-to-eat foods, as well
as an action plan designed to reduce the
risk of foodborne illness caused by
Listeria monocytogenes.
Continued basic research is needed
to evaluate the incidence of current
and emerging hazards, identify and
quantify the chronic complications
that these acute foodborne illnesses
can cause, and identify which foods
are causing the illnesses.
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■ FSIS has developed an indepth verifi-
cation protocol that can be used to determine the adequacy of plants’ HACCP
plans for ready-to-eat products, particularly regarding Listeria monocytogenes;
■ A risk ranking for Listeria monocytogenes,
in conjunction with the Food and Drug
Administration, focused on all foods,
particularly refrigerated, ready-to-eat
foods; and
■ FSIS is developing food safety standards
for ready-to-eat products that will address the need to control all pathogens,
including Listeria monocytogenes.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
has never been detected in U.S. cattle.
Since 1989, USDA has banned the import
of live ruminants, such as cattle, sheep,
goats, and most ruminant products from
the United Kingdom and other countries
having BSE. Should a case of BSE ever be
detected in this country, an emergency
response plan has been developed to immediately control suspect animals and
prevent them from entering the food
supply.
In 1998, USDA asked the Harvard Center
for Risk Analysis to evaluate the robustness of U.S. measures to prevent the
spread of BSE or “mad cow disease” to
animals and humans if it were to arise
in this country.
FSIS also has the following four longer
term initiatives:
■ The agency drafted a protocol to study
the post-production growth of Listeria
monocytogenes in a wide variety of readyto-eat products. USDA’s Agricultural Research Service is conducting the study;
Results of this landmark 3-year study
showed that the risk of BSE occurring in
the United States is extremely low. The
report noted that early protection systems put into place by the USDA and the
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) have been largely responsible for keeping BSE out of the United
States and would prevent it from spreading if it ever did enter the country.
Even so, in November 2001, the Under
Secretary for Food Safety announced a
series of actions the USDA would take, in
cooperation with HHS, to strengthen its
BSE prevention programs and maintain
the Government’s vigilance against the
disease.
Food Safety | 105
■ USDA will have the risk assessment
peer reviewed by a team of outside experts to ensure its scientific integrity;
■ USDA will continue increasing its
testing for BSE, with over 12,500 cattle
samples targeted in fiscal year 2002—up
from 5,000 during fiscal year 2001;
■ USDA will announce in the Federal
Register the availability of a policy options paper that will outline additional
possible regulatory actions to limit the
risk of BSE exposure;
■ USDA will issue a proposed rule to
prohibit the use of certain stunning devices used to immobilize cattle during
slaughter; and
■ USDA will publish an Advance Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking to consider
disposal options for dead and downer
animals. Such cattle are considered an
important potential pathway for the
spread of BSE in the animal chain.
A complete copy of the Harvard Report
can be obtained from USDA’s official
Web site at http://www.usda.gov. For more
information about BSE, also visit
http://www.usda.gov or http:www.hhs.gov
Food Net and PulseNet
FSIS has partnered with the CDC and
other State and Federal agencies to determine the extent of foodborne illness
in the United States and to maintain a
database of DNA fingerprinting of foodborne bacteria.
The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) is a part of the
CDC Emerging Infections Program. FSIS
worked in conjunction with CDC, the
Food and Drug Administration, and public health laboratories in several States
to establish FoodNet in 1995.
FoodNet includes active surveillance for
diseases caused by foodborne pathogens,
case-control studies to identify risk factors for acquiring foodborne illness, and
surveys to assess medical and laboratory
practices related to the diagnosis of
foodborne illness. The baseline and annual data collected are being used to
help determine the effectiveness of the
Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Points rule and other regulatory actions as well as public
education efforts in decreasing the number of cases of major bacterial foodborne
disease in the United States each year.
In FY 2001, FSIS completed the sixth full
year of an agreement with the CDC to conduct active population-based surveillance
for foodborne diseases (Campylobacter,
E. coli O157:H7, Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella,
Vibrio, Yersinia, Crytosporidium and Cyclospora) in Minnesota, Oregon, Connecticut,
Georgia, and selected counties in California, Maryland, New York, Colorado, and
Tennessee (total population: 30 million).
This multi-year study is providing muchneeded data regarding the burden of
foodborne illness in the United States.
PulseNet is a national computer network
of public health laboratories that helps
to rapidly identify and control outbreaks
of foodborne illness. The laboratories
perform DNA fingerprinting on bacteria
that may be foodborne and the network
permits rapid comparison of the fingerprint patterns through an electronic
database at the CDC. PulseNet is an early warning system that links seemingly
sporadic human illnesses together and,
as a result, more outbreaks can be recognized, especially those that involve many
States.
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diverse audiences through the media, information multipliers such as teachers,
Extension and health educators, the
FSIS Web site, printed materials, videos,
USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline, the internationally distributed newsletter, The
Food Safety Educator, and other presentations and exhibits. FSIS produces public
service announcements, news features,
and partners with other government
agencies, industry, and consumer associations on food safety projects.
FoodNet and PulseNet are two examples
of Federal and State agencies working
together to accomplish the agency’s public health goals of protecting the public
and the meat and poultry supply
through improving the tracking of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks.
Consumer and Food Safety Education
For more than two decades, FSIS has
provided consumer information and educational materials designed to foster
safe food handling through behavior
changes in order to reduce the risk of
foodborne illness. Educational materials
and campaigns are science based and
drawn from epidemiological studies
concerning food and behaviors that contribute to food safety risks. Projects and
activities are also based on social marketing principles, research derived from
educational theory, market and consumer
research, and focus group testing. FSIS
provides information and educational
materials designed to foster safe handling of meat, poultry, and egg products.
Consumer education programs focus on
key food safety messages to the general
public and special high-risk groups that
face increased risks from foodborne illness—the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, people who have chronic
diseases, and people with compromised
immune systems. The agency reaches
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
In addition to basic food handling, storage and preparation questions, USDA’s
toll-free Meat and Poultry Hotline addresses the latest issues: outbreaks of
foodborne illness; pathogens such as
Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, and E. coli O157:H7; recalls
of meat and poultry products; egg safety; red meat irradiation; and food safety
during a power outage or natural disaster. Over 172,000 calls were taken during
FY 2000 and FY 2001 combined with over
400 media or information multiplier
calls addressing safe food handling practices in the home. The analysis of call
data helps to identify gaps in consumer
knowledge to plan future food safety education campaigns. The Hotline’s staff is
comprised of home economists, registered dietitians, food technologists, and a
physician.
In September 2001, the USDA Meat and
Poultry Hotline initiated a 3-month
Spanish language outreach pilot for the
Latino community to provide consumers
with bilingual service. The pilot outreach
efforts were focused in Miami, FL, San
Diego, CA, and Newark, NJ.
Callers may speak with a food safety
specialist—in English or Spanish—from
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on
weekdays year round by dialing the nationwide toll-free number 1-800-5354555 or in the Washington, DC area, (202)
720-3333. The toll-free number for the
hearing impaired (TTY) is 1-800-2567072. An extensive menu of recorded
food safety messages in English and
Spanish may be heard 24 hours a day.
The Hotline can also now be reached by
e-mail at: mphotline.fsis@usda.gov
Food Safety | 107
Food Thermometer Education
Campaign—Thermy™
Based on USDA and other scientific research, FSIS launched a national consumer education campaign to increase
consumer use of food thermometers at a
May 25, 2000, press conference. Input
from nationwide focus groups helped to
develop Thermy™, a cartoon character,
and his message: “It’s Safe to Bite When
the Temperature is Right!” Thermy™ educational materials, developed in English
and Spanish, were distributed nationally
to schools, cooperative extension, and
other educators. Thermometer companies, grocery chains, and other partners
began using Thermy™ on product packaging, in-store floor displays, and consumer information publications. Thousands of information kits, magnets, and
posters were distributed to food safety
educators nationwide and a variety of
Thermy™ information is available (also
in Spanish) on the FSIS Web site:
www.fsis.usda.gov/thermy. Thermy™ continues to appear at public functions
across the country.
Partnership for Food Safety Education
and Fight BAC!® Campaign
The Partnership for Food Safety Education’s Fight BAC!® campaign, which began in 1997, is a far-reaching, ambitious,
and consumer-friendly public education
campaign focused on safe food handling.
The Fight BAC!® campaign’s goal is to educate consumers on the four simple
steps they can take to fight foodborne
bacteria and reduce their risk of foodborne illness. These steps are:
■ Clean—wash hands and surfaces often,
■ Separate—don’t cross-contaminate,
■ Cook—cook to proper temperatures,
and
■ Chill—refrigerate promptly.
The campaign is represented by the
character BAC! (bacteria), the invisible
enemy who tries his best to spread contamination wherever he goes. By giving
foodborne bacteria a personality, BAC!
makes the learning process more meaningful and memorable for consumers of
all ages.
For more information about the Partnership for Food Safety Education and Fight
BAC!®, visit http://www.fightbac.org/
Listeria monocytogenes Consumer
Outreach
Focus groups have shown that consumers are not aware that pregnant
women are at high risk for foodborne illness and are unfamiliar with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). In FY
2001, FSIS developed a new brochure for
pregnant women—Listeriosis and Pregnancy: What Is Your Risk? Safe Food Handling
for a Healthy Pregnancy. The Listeriosis and
Food Safety Tips (June 1999) brochure in
English and Spanish remains available
for purchase in single or bulk copies
through the Government Printing Office
and through the Federal Consumer Information Center (FCIC) in Pueblo, CO.
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The National Food Safety
Information Network
FSIS and other agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture participated in
the National Food Safety Information
Network, which fosters communication
among the Federal Government’s primary
providers of food safety information. The
network includes: http://www.FoodSafety.gov
the “Government Gateway to Food Safety
Information;” the USDA Meat and Poultry
Hotline; FDA’s Center for Food Safety and
Applied Nutrition (CFSAN); the USDA/FDA
Foodborne Illness Education Information
Center at the National Agricultural Library; National Food Safety Educators
Network (EdNet); and FoodSafe, an online
discussion group with 2,000 subscribers
from more than 50 countries.
National Food Safety Education
MonthSM (NFSEM)
Created by the International Food Safety
Council, a coalition of restaurant and
foodservice professionals certified in food
safety, National Food Safety Education
MonthSM (NFSEM) is an activity within
the National Food Safety Initiative. It is
held in September each year and its major focus is on food safety education for
government and consumer organizations, as well as industry. The goals are:
(1) to reinforce food safety education
and training among restaurant and foodservice workers; and (2) to educate the
public on how to handle and prepare
food properly at home—whether cooking
from scratch or serving take-out meals
or leftovers. The theme for the September 2001 observance, Be Cool, Chill Out,
Refrigerate Promptly, was one of the Fight
BAC!® messages.
FSIS Web Site
The Web site www.fsis.usda.gov remains a
valuable resource for consumers, food
safety educators, the regulated industry,
FSIS employees, government officials,
and other professionals. The site contains
thousands of documents concerning
FSIS news, meat and poultry product recalls, HACCP, speeches, regulations and
directives, agency reports, food safety for
consumers, and career employment information. Because documents may be
downloaded in a variety of electronic
formats, the Web site serves as an integral part of the agency’s publication distribution process. Visitors to the site may
also view video clips of news releases
and public service announcements and
can access numerous links to other food
safety-related sites. Also, the Web site’s
electronic mailbox address received
thousands of questions and comments
by visitors from around the world.
Food Safety | 109
Food Service Education
In FY 2001, FSIS participated in meetings
and conference calls with the Food Safety Training and Education Alliance
(FSTEA) to identify food safety activities
and initiatives. In collaboration with
FSTEA, FSIS organized and coordinated
two symposia–(1) A Social Marketing
Approach to Educating Food Service
Workers and (2) Educating Food Service
Workers. FSIS was instrumental in developing a Web site for FSTEA, www.fstea.org,
at the National Agricultural Library
managed by the USDA/FDA Foodborne
Illness Education Information Center.
FSIS also led the effort to develop, design, and distribute the brochure, Food
Safety: Taking Care of Business. This
brochure provides resources for food
safety information and training materials specifically designed for retail and
food service. A decal for mirrors depicting the importance of hand washing in
relation to food safety, one of the four
Fight BAC!® messages, was designed and
produced for distribution to restaurants
and foodservice establishments. Also, FSIS
currently provides liaisons to USDA’s
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the
National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI), and the National Coalition for Food Safe Schools (NCFSS) and a
staff member serves as a consultant to
the Conference for Food Protection’s
Manager Training, Testing, and Certification Committee.
