The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have partnered in creating six food safety booklets for different groups that are most susceptible to food borne illness. These pamphlets target adults, transplant recipients, pregnant women, and people with diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or cancer in an effort to reduce their risk for foodborne illnesses.

These booklets contain much needed information for consumers who have an increased chance of becoming sick from the food they eat. The goal is to present clear and understandable information on how to confidently and safely prepare and eat food. They are also helpful to doctors and health professionals as a resource to educate their patients about food borne illnesses.

The 24-page pamphlets contain easy-to-read charts, illustrated how-to’s, straightforward summaries of why each group is at risk, and symptoms they may experience. Each booklet focuses on tips for grocery shopping, cooking at correct temperatures, and eating at restaurants, including tear-out cards for use on the go. “Everyone from farmers to food manufacturers to food preparers in the home has a role in food safety,” said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor.

In the past, booklets on five of these topics already existed, however, these two agencies decided to produce a sixth one especially for pregnant women who are at risk for listeriosis. The updated booklets include revised safe cooking temperatures for poultry and meat: 145 °F for whole cuts of meat, and a three-minute rest time; 160 °F for ground meats; and 165 °F for all poultry and leftovers. The new booklets also list food safety resources, such as foodsafety.gov that are readily available for all consumers.

As a part of this same effort – to prevent food borne illness – the USDA and the FDA joined with the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention along with the Ad Council, to launch a food safety education campaign called Food Safe Families. The goal of is to empower families to reduce their risk of foodborne illnesses in the home by using these safety steps: clean, separate, cook, and chill.

The new booklets and educational campaign are a small part of a large effort of public health measures being put in place by President Barack Obama’s Administration to prevent foodborne illness, improve consumers’ knowledge about their food, and to safeguard their food supply. These actions support the three principles developed by the President’s Food Safety Working Group: strengthening surveillance and enforcement, prioritizing prevention, and improving response and recovery.

Examples of these actions include:

  • Test-and-hold policy where products cannot be released until Agency test results for dangerous contaminants are known.
  • Labeling requirements.
  • Public Health Information System.
  • Performance standards for poultry establishments for continued reductions in the occurrence of pathogens.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald