Branding & Toolkits

USDA Branding Usage

Please refer to this branding material for the correct usage of the USDA logo, colors and fonts. These materials are available to you at no charge, but any and all uses must conform to these guidelines. Contact USDA for approval of other uses or applications by writing to: fsis.outreach@usda.gov.

The USDA logo shall be reproduced in either one or two colors. The official colors for the USDA symbol are dark blue (PMS 288) and dark green (PMS 343). When reproduced in one color, the symbol shall be black. When the symbol is placed on a color field, it should be reversed to white.

The USDA symbol is designated for display on all information products of the Department. To ensure maximum visibility, the preferred position of the symbol on most information products is the top left corner.

When used in conjunction with symbol of other public and/or private-sector partners, the logo should be given equal placement and may be displayed without the Department name. If all of the symbols represent Federal organizations, the symbols should be placed in alphabetical order. If the organizations are a mix of Federal and non-Federal, the lead Federal agency symbol should appear first with the remaining symbols ordered as dictated by the situation.

Background

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (www.fsis.usda.gov) is the public health regulatory agency in USDA responsible for verifying that meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome and accurately labeled.
Foodborne illness is a serious public health threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that foodborne illness results in roughly 48 million people getting sick, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths in the U.S. annually.
FSIS works hard to make sure the meat, poultry, and egg products consumers bring home are safe, but consumers also play a role in preventing foodborne illnesses—commonly known as food poisoning. This year, USDA is sharing Super Bowl-themed tips centered on the four steps to food safety—clean, separate, cook and chill.

Remember your four steps to food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.

Clean: Wash hands for 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Clean hands, surfaces and utensils with soap and warm water before cooking and after contact with raw meat and poultry. After cleaning surfaces that raw meat and poultry has touched, apply a commercial or homemade sanitizing solution (1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water). Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
Separate: Use separate cutting boards, plates and utensils to avoid cross-contamination between raw meat or poultry and foods that are ready-to-eat.
Cook: Confirm foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature by using a food thermometer.
Chill: Chill foods promptly if not consuming immediately after cooking. Do not leave food at room temperature for longer than two hours.

Cook Your Food to a Safe Internal Temperature

Using a food thermometer, ensure you reach a safe internal temperature when cooking: meat (whole beef, pork and lamb) 145 F with a 3-minute rest; ground meats 160 F; poultry (ground and whole) 165 F; eggs 160 F; fish and shellfish 145 F; and leftovers and casseroles 165 F.
Cook chicken wings to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 F, as measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part of the wing, avoiding the bone.
- Take the internal temperature of several wings to gauge the doneness of the entire batch. If one wing is under 165 F, continue cooking all the wings until they all reach the proper internal temperature.
- Do not test the internal temperature while the wings are submerged in oil. This will lead to an inaccurate temperature reading.
Make sure ground beef dishes like meatballs, hamburgers and meatloaves reach 160 F. Ground poultry items like turkey burgers and chicken patties should be cooked to 165 F.
- Toward the end of cooking time, insert a food thermometer, through the side, into the thickest part of a ground meat or poultry patty to measure the internal temperature.

Avoid the Danger Zone

Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 F and 140 F. This temperature range is called the Danger Zone.
Perishable foods, such as chicken wings, deli wraps or meatball appetizers, should be discarded if left out for longer than two hours. To prevent food waste, refrigerate or freeze perishable items within two hours, or keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
- Keep cold foods at a temperature of 40 F or below by keeping food nestled in ice or refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Keep hot foods at a temperature of 140 F or above by placing food in a preheated oven, warming trays, chafing dishes or slow cookers.
Divide leftovers into smaller portions and refrigerate or freeze them in shallow containers, which helps leftovers cool quicker than storing them in large containers.

Keep Takeout Food Safe

If you order food and it is delivered or picked up in advance of the big game, divide the food into smaller portions or pieces, place in shallow containers, and refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve. You can also keep the food warm (above 140 F) in a preheated oven, warming tray, chafing dish, or slow cooker.
When reheating food containing meat or poultry, make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 F as measured by a food thermometer.
If heating food in the microwave, ensure that contents are evenly dispersed. Because microwaved food can have cold spots, be sure to stir food evenly until it has reached a safe internal temperature throughout.

Social Media

Share Super Bowl food safety guidance with your followers and be sure to use the hashtag: #FoodSafe. Follow us on Twitter for our Super Bowl food safety Tweets and Retweet us! Don’t forget to tag us in your tweets (@USDAFoodSafety).