The USDA’s Food Safety Discovery Zone, in cooperation with FedStrive, made its latest stop at the Health and Human Services’ FreshFarm Market on Wednesday, October 6, 2010 from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 307 market-goers were provided with information on how to prevent foodborne illnesses using the Be Food Safe campaign’s four easy steps: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.
BAC!®, the Discovery Zone’s bacteria villain (worn by USPHS’s LCDR Sandra Magera) who can be conquered with the four basic food safety steps, made an appearance and interacted with shoppers. A surprise appearance was made by the 18th Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, RADM Regina Benjamin. RADM Benjamin toured the outside and inside of the USDA’s Food Safety Discovery Zone and then took pictures with the USPHS officers who work on the mobile.
One shopper commented to a Food Safety Discovery Zone staffer, "Wow, I sort of consider myself a 'foodie'- and I shop at farmer's markets because I like to eat the healthiest, freshest foods . . . yet I didn't think twice about these simple things I have to do to make sure I handle and cook my food properly."
The FreshFarm Market continues to be held every Wednesday until October 27, 2010 on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Hubert Humphrey Building plaza. The Food Safety Discovery Zone’s next stop is the Gwynn Park Middle School in Brandywine, Maryland on Tuesday, October 12, 2010. You can follow the Discovery Zone’s travels on Facebook and Twitter.