New campaign seeks to teach consumers about foodborne illnesses

WASHINGTON — A new multimedia public service campaign that is designed to help families prevent food poisoning in the home has made its debut.

The Food Safe Families campaign — created pro bono by ad agency JWT New York on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, in partnership with the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — aims to raise awareness about the risks of foodborne illnesses (food poisoning) and educate consumers to take specific actions to reduce their personal risk. The Ad Council is distributing the new public service announcements to more than 33,000 media outlets nationwide.

The campaign offers the following tips:

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  Clean: Clean kitchen surfaces, utensils and hands with soap and water while preparing food;

  
  


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  Separate: Separate raw meats from other foods by using different cutting boards;

  
  


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  Cook: Cook foods to the right temperature by using a food thermometer; and

  
  


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  Chill: Chill raw and prepared foods promptly.

  
  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1-in-6 Americans (48 million people) suffer from foodborne illnesses each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

For more information, visit FoodSafety.gov.