Foodsafety.gov: 'One-stop-shop' Web site for food safety information

We’re happy to announce today the re-launch of the FoodSafety.gov Web site, a single place to find food safety information from across the government. Think of it as a kind of “one-stop-shop” offering everything you need to stay food-safe and healthy. The site, operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, includes information from the Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety and Inspection Service, National Institutes of Health and other government agencies and offices. Among the things you can do on the new FoodSafety.gov Web site: · See all food product recalls and alerts from all government agencies in one place (You can even grab a constantly updating alerts “widget” to put on any blog, website or personalized web “start” page.) · Report a food problem · Ask questions of food safety experts · Get tips to help you make safe and healthy decisions at home, in the market, at school and in the workplace · Find expert information on preventing, recognizing and treating food-borne illnesses · Learn about the food inspection process · Find links to your state and local public health agencies · View videos, listen to podcasts, subscribe to e-mail alerts and RSS feeds, follow Twitter and use other multimedia to keep current on food safety topics · Download educational materials for schools, community groups and public health agencies The new FoodSafety.gov site is an outgrowth of the Food Safety Working Group, an effort announced by President Barack Obama on March 14, 2009, designed to establish programs and procedures to ensure a safe food supply for the American people. One recommendation produced by the inter-agency group is to use new technologies, including FoodSafety.gov and emerging social media, to communicate critical food safety information to the public. From the beginning, the process has included input from many interested parties. That outreach continues today. Have comments or suggestions about the new FoodSafety.gov Web site? Leave comments here on this blog.

Permalink  |  Posted: 05:59PM Sep 09, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [1]

FSIS launches YouTube channel

Although USDA has its own page on YouTube, we're still looking to find as many ways to get public information out as possible. That's why the Food Safety and Inspection Service is online with a YouTube page of its own at www.youtube.com/USDAFoodSafety.

You'll be able to find video in English, Spanish and American Sign Language about all kinds of food safety issues -- how to prepare and store food, for example, or what to do with food after a natural disaster.

This is just one more part of the bigger effort to ensure Americans are eating safe food. Keep checking out the new page frequently as we upload important food safety messages for consumers and producers.

Permalink  |  Posted: 05:03PM Jul 31, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]

Vilsack, Sebelius announce new food safety strategies at Eastern Market

Secretary Vilsack went to Eastern Market, a fresh food market in Southeast DC today, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, to outline new food safety strategies being undertaken by the Obama Administration.

The Secretary pledged USDA support in making directives as clear as possible for beef plant inspectors, making it easier for USDA inspection teams in the field to inspect food for e-coli bacteria. Vilsack also announced food inspectors will start sampling "bench trim" -- beef left over from the first cuts of meat that are used to prepare ground beef -- for E-coli.

"Making prevention a priority is critical to reducing foodborne illness and one of the three food safety principles of President Obama's Food Safety Working Group," said Vilsack. "The actions we are taking today will result in safer food in our country, which means healthier children and less costly healthcare."

The effort to ensure the safety of America's food supply has been a priority for both Secretary Vilsack and the President since the beginning of the administration; Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Sebelius head the Food Safety Working Group, created to improve our approach to food safety and make Americans more aware of the ways in which they can keep their food safe.

Permalink  |  Posted: 02:35PM Jul 31, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service offers food safety tips for hurricane season

As the peak of the 2009 hurricane season approaches, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is providing recommendations to minimize the chance of foodborne illnesses due to power outages and other problems caused by severe weather.

“In the hours after a tropical storm or hurricane, food safety can become a critical public health issue,” said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Jerold Mande. “With a little bit of planning and some common sense decision-making, people can make sure they have access to safe food and water even in the aftermath of severe storms.”

So how can you keep food safe when a storm knocks out the power? Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer, for starters. If you live in an area that often encounters severe weather, make sure you have coolers on hand and know where you can get dry and block ice.

Once the storm passes, it may take a while for power to be restored so resist temptation and keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible so the cold air does not escape. If the refrigerator door stays closed, the food inside can last safely for up to four hours. If the food still has ice crystals or is 40°F or colder when checked with a thermometer, it is safe to refreeze. Never taste it to determine its safety! A useful tip: Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for two days.

Flood waters often come with tropical storms and hurricanes. Unfortunately they bring the always present bacteria. Throw out food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance it has come into contact with flood water as well as other wooden or plastic kitchen equipment and utensils – don’t forget to throw out baby bottle nipples and pacifiers. You can wash other metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by soaking them for 15 minutes in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water. You may be able to save undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches by following our easy to follow tips.

Whether you have food in the refrigerator, freezor or cooler, including packaged goods and water, it is always better to be safe than sorry, so when in doubt, throw it out! FSIS has more tips to keep your food safe before, during and after a storm. Visit the FSIS fact sheet for all of the details and remember to Ask Karen , our virtual representative is available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

Check out our information on food safety during a power outage and hurricane preparedness and share the public service announcement, Podcasts in English and Spanish as well as the American Sign Language videocasts.

Permalink  |  Posted: 04:26PM Jul 22, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [1]