Susan Conley (301) 504-9605
Steven Cohen (202) 720-9113

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For an Enjoyable Fourth, Consumers Should Practice Food Safety

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2003—Fireworks and the smell of grilling hamburgers fill the air as Americans celebrate the Fourth of July.

For a safe family celebration, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds consumers to follow four simple but important safe food guidelines. That means;

• Clean – Wash hands and surfaces often.

• Separate – Separate raw meat and poultry from cooked/ready-to-eat food to prevent cross-contamination.

• Cook – Cook food to a safe internal temperature. Check temperature with a food thermometer. Cook hamburger patties to 160 °F and ground poultry to 165 °F.

• Chill – Refrigerate or freeze promptly. Store food in a cooler with a cold source such as a frozen gel pack. Unpack the cooler just before cooking or serving the food. Meat and poultry should be returned to the cooler or stored in the refrigerator or freezer within two hours after being cooked and only one hour when the temperature is above 90 °F.

Many consumers have the option to choose between irradiated and non-irradiated ground beef and ground beef patties for grilling. Irradiation is a process that can kill harmful pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

“Food irradiation has been thoroughly researched, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for meat and poultry, as well as for a variety of other foods and is endorsed by many expert groups,” said Dr. Elsa Murano, under secretary for food safety. “While irradiation is an added step in making meat and poultry safer, irradiation does not make the product sterile and should not replace safe food handling. Consumers will still need to remember and follow the four basic steps in handling food safely.”

Packages of meat and poultry that have been treated by irradiation carry the radura label, a flower-like image inside a broken circle. The logo must be on package labels when the entire contents were irradiated and also accompanied by the phrase “treated by irradiation” (or with radiation). If a product contains irradiated ingredients, they must be listed in the ingredient statement. 

Children under 10 years of age have a higher incidence of foodborne illness due to Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli O157:H7 than any other age group. Very young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk from any pathogen. These high risk groups may benefit most from safe food handling. Additional safe food handling information can be found on the FSIS Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.

For more information in English and Spanish, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854); TTY: 1-800-256-7072. The Hotline’s hours are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Time, year-round. An extensive selection of timely food safety messages is also available at the same number 24 hours a day. Information can also be accessed on the FSIS Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov. E-mail inquiries may be directed to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov

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NOTE: Access news releases and other information at the FSIS web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.

For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 690-0460

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