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Have you fallen for any of these common food safety myths?

This month, take time to learn more about food safety and spread awareness of the dangers of foodborne illnesses. Every year, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans acquire a foodborne illness. That is about 48 million people! Of those people, around 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 lose their lives—all because of contaminated food. That’s why food safety education is important this month, and every month after!

Living with a food allergy is already hard enough, but it gets even harder considering allergens can be hiding in other ingredients or foods. As those working in the food industry, it is our responsibility to protect those suffering from a food allergy, and one concept vital to that is recognizing hidden allergens.

As a Food Handler or Manager, you constantly hear about the importance of following the correct food safety procedures to prevent foodborne illnesses. But at some point, you may have wondered why it is so important to prevent foodborne illnesses. Here are the basics to understanding the impact of foodborne illnesses and why we put such an emphasis on food safety.

Each year, around 200,000 people in the United States need emergency medical care after an allergic reaction to food. Hopefully, this doesn’t happen, but an allergic reaction could happen in your restaurant. Prevention is key, but knowing what to do if a severe allergic reaction does occur is also important for keeping everyone safe. The following goes over the symptoms of a severe allergic reaction and how to respond if one does occur.

Looking clean and presentable is not just about making a good impression on customers. We know that cross-contamination can be caused by not sanitizing surfaces or not washing your hands, but did you know that cross-contamination can also occur by transferring bacteria from dirty clothing?

Each year, an estimated 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness, with 128,000 hospitalized and 3,000 deaths. This is why, as food handlers, being knowledgeable about food safety is so important—it can save lives. Knowing the symptoms of a foodborne illness is just as important to food safety as knowing how to prevent them. Learn what these symptoms are, as well as what to do if you get food poisoning.

Personal hygiene is an important element of food safety, and handwashing might just be the most essential step. Handwashing prevents you from getting sick, and also from passing on sickness, such as a foodborne illness. Even though handwashing is an important step in preventing the spread of foodborne illnesses, a study by the USDA found that 97% of consumers are not properly washing their hands in the kitchen, which in turn leads to bacteria being transferred to other surfaces in the kitchen through cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination is a major food safety risk. Without safe food handling practices, storage procedures, personal hygiene, and cleaning, contaminants can get into the food you serve, causing foodborne illnesses or allergic reactions. But what causes food contamination?

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many things to become virtual—including test taking. Remotely proctored food protection manager exams have now become extremely popular. However, even with the pandemic still ongoing, in-person proctors have still found ways to safely get people their food manager certifications.