For more information, contact:
Victor Zonana-HHS (202) 690-6343
or
Tom Amontree-USDA (202) 720-4623
or
Nancy Glick (202) 944-5186
Partnership for Food Safety Education
NEW SAFE FOOD HANDLING CAMPAIGN URGES AMERICANS TO "FIGHT BAC!"(tm)
Washington, D.C.; October 24, 1997 -- A unique public-private
partnership consisting of industry, government and consumer groups
today called on all Americans to "Fight BAC!"(tm) and reduce foodborne
illness by confronting the invisible enemy of foodborne bacteria.
At a Washington kickoff ceremony, two Cabinet Secretaries --
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and Health and Human Services
Secretary Donna E. Shalala -- joined with the other members of the
Partnership for Food Safety Education to unveil the new character
"BAC," which will be the cornerstone of one of the most far-reaching
and ambitious public education campaigns ever focused on safe food
handling.
"Just as the public links 'Smokey Bear' with preventing forest
fires, the goal of the 'Fight BAC!'(tm) campaign is to educate
consumers on the problem of foodborne illness and motivate them to
take basic sanitation and food handling steps that will greatly reduce
their risk of foodborne illness," said Agriculture Secretary Dan
Glickman.
The Partnership for Food Safety Education is launching the Fight
BAC!(tm) campaign in conjunction with President Clinton's Food Safety
Initiative, which is designed to assure the safety of food from the
farm to the table. The initiative also includes measures to improve
and modernize food inspection and manufacturing procedures; increase
research into foodborne pathogens; create a national Early Warning
System to detect and respond to foodborne outbreaks; and strengthen
coordination among federal, state and local food safety agencies.
"Although the U.S. has one of the safest food supplies in the
world, preventing foodborne illness remains a major public health
challenge," said Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Donna E.
Shalala. "Even as industry and government step up their food safety
activities, consumers need to understand that they are the last line
of defense in assuring the safety of the foods they eat."
Television Public Service Announcement
The new "Fight BAC!"(tm) campaign includes a colorful, 30-second
television public service announcement (PSA) featuring a frustrated
"BAC" trying unsuccessfully to spread contamination throughout the
kitchen. "The BAC character puts a face on foodborne bacteria, which
we believe will help Americans remember that they have the power to
control bacteria in their home kitchens," Shalala commented. The
television spot highlights four basic safe food handling steps and
tells viewers "if you want to stay healthy, you've gotta Fight BAC."
The new PSA is being distributed nationally to television networks and
stations in key markets.
Four Key Principles
Underlying the campaign are four key principles for preparing
food safely and keeping it that way. The principles are: 1) wash
hands and surfaces often; 2) prevent cross-contamination; 3) cook
foods to proper temperatures; and 4) refrigerate promptly. Although
simple steps, these four principles address the critical points in
everyday food handling where improper practices can lead to foodborne
illness.
An Educational Graphic for Food Safety
With these food safety principles as the focus, another
important new campaign element is the food safety graphic which brings
the four steps to life. "We have learned through extensive nutrition
programs that consumers understand best when information is presented
in a simple, graphically interesting manner," said Glickman. "We hope
this new food safety symbol will become as familiar and meaningful to
Americans as the Food Guide Pyramid." The symbol was extensively
tested with consumers and is designed for use in a wide variety of
materials, from posters to point-of-purchase materials to refrigerator
magnets.
The "Fight BAC!" Web Site
The campaign also features a new web site -- www.fightbac.org --
where consumers, health professionals, educators and the media can
learn the latest news about preventing foodborne illness. Grassroots
consumer educators will appreciate the web site's special links
allowing them to access a variety of consumer-friendly food safety
information.
"BAC Fighters" Register Support for Campaign
More than 50 national, state and local organizations from the
public health, government, consumer and industry sectors have agreed
to support the "Fight BAC!"(tm) campaign and disseminate educational
materials. These "BAC Fighters" will maximize the campaign's national
outreach and provide important links into thousands of communities
nationwide.
The Partnership for Food Safety Education
Formed in 1996 and officially launched in May 1997, the
Partnership for Food Safety Education was created as the result of
widespread scientific consensus that foodborne illness is a major
public health problem. Although the exact incidence of foodborne
illness in the U.S. is not precisely known, the nonprofit Council for
Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) estimates that between 6.5
and 33 million cases occur each year. The National Center for Health
Statistics estimate that 9,100 deaths per year are due to foodborne
illness.
The Partnership for Food Safety Education is currently funded by
nine industry organizations: The American Egg Board, American Meat
Institute, Food Marketing Institute, Industry Council on Food
Safety/National Restaurant Association, National Broiler Council,
National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Produce Marketing Association,
The Soap and Detergent Association and the U.S. Poultry and Egg
Association. The Grocery Manufacturers of America has also
contributed to the effort.
At the same time, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and its agencies -- the Food Safety and
Inspection Service, and the Cooperative State, Research, Education and
Extension Service -- together with the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services and its agencies -- the Food and Drug Administration
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- have committed
their technical expertise and in-kind resources in implementing the
campaign. Also joining the Partnership is the Association of Food and
Drug Officials and serving as advisors are the Consumer Federation of
America, Public Voice for Food and Health Policy and Carol Tucker
Foreman, a food safety advocate and former Assistant Secretary of
Agriculture.
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Fight BAC Education Campaign and HTML version of this press release