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September is National Food Safety Education Month
Health Department urges public to observe this
By CLAUD HODGES
Newsroom Manager
Food safety starts at home.
“The Beaufort County Health Department wants people to understand this,” said Vera Vaughan, program specialist of the Beaufort County Health Department’s Environmental Health Food and Lodging Program.
The Health Department has joined the N.C. Division of Environmental Health and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to urge county residents that food safety begins with their practices at home, Vaughan said.
“With this, the Health Department is observing National Food Safety Education Month during September,” Vaughan said.
Beaufort County Health Director Roxanne Holloman said she asks the public to pay attention to the subject of the observance and to please practice safe food-handling procedure.
“Episodes of food-borne illness are experienced every year in Beaufort County,” Holloman said. “The fact is that many of these residents do not know that it was actually food that caused their illness.”
She said that food safety is everything from washing produce before eating it to separating raw meats from other food items.
This year’s theme, “Take Action to Prevent an Allergic Reaction,” focuses on the importance of reducing the incidence of food allergy reactions by knowing the most common foods for food-related allergies and how to respond to food allergy reactions, Vaughan said.
“Knowing about food safety will protect you and your family from food-borne illnesses,” Holloman said. “It is also important to realize that food allergies are common and to take appropriate steps to avoid possible allergic reactions.”
The Health Department and the Beaufort County Cooperative Extension Service offer Serv Safe, a food safety course designed for food managers, twice a year.
“We see our partnership as a positive strategy to help the public become aware of this subject,” said Ann Darkow, director of the Cooperative Extension Service.
Starting in July 2009, food service establishment managers that do not have a current Serv Safe certificate will loose two points on their final inspection score, Vaughan said.
The Cooperative Extension Service and the Health Department are going to meet the demands of this by offering the Serv Safe course in October, Vaughan said.
“This will benefit food service establishments as well as resident camp operations,” she said.
“It’s a win-win situation for the public and the two agencies,” Darkow said.
In addition to being knowledgeable of the occurrence of food allergies, the Health Department highlights five additional food safety techniques, including hand-washing habits, washing produce thoroughly before consumption, separating raw meats and poultry from ready-to-eat foods and foods that will be eaten raw such as fresh vegetables, keeping foods at the appropriate temperatures and knowing when to throw out foods.
National Food Safety Education Month, created in 1994, was established by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s International Food Safety Council.
It was developed to heighten the awareness about the importance of food safety education as well as increase consumer awareness about the importance of food safety, Vaughan said.
For more information about National Food Safety Education Month activities in Beaufort County during September, contact Vaughan at (252) 946-6048.
For more information about specific activities in North Carolina, contact Claudia Rumfelt-Wright at (919) 715-8497 or Wendy Campbell at (919) 733-7366.
By CLAUD HODGES
Newsroom Manager
Food safety starts at home.
“The Beaufort County Health Department wants people to understand this,” said Vera Vaughan, program specialist of the Beaufort County Health Department’s Environmental Health Food and Lodging Program.
The Health Department has joined the N.C. Division of Environmental Health and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to urge county residents that food safety begins with their practices at home, Vaughan said.
“With this, the Health Department is observing National Food Safety Education Month during September,” Vaughan said.
Beaufort County Health Director Roxanne Holloman said she asks the public to pay attention to the subject of the observance and to please practice safe food-handling procedure.
“Episodes of food-borne illness are experienced every year in Beaufort County,” Holloman said. “The fact is that many of these residents do not know that it was actually food that caused their illness.”
She said that food safety is everything from washing produce before eating it to separating raw meats from other food items.
This year’s theme, “Take Action to Prevent an Allergic Reaction,” focuses on the importance of reducing the incidence of food allergy reactions by knowing the most common foods for food-related allergies and how to respond to food allergy reactions, Vaughan said.
“Knowing about food safety will protect you and your family from food-borne illnesses,” Holloman said. “It is also important to realize that food allergies are common and to take appropriate steps to avoid possible allergic reactions.”
The Health Department and the Beaufort County Cooperative Extension Service offer Serv Safe, a food safety course designed for food managers, twice a year.
“We see our partnership as a positive strategy to help the public become aware of this subject,” said Ann Darkow, director of the Cooperative Extension Service.
Starting in July 2009, food service establishment managers that do not have a current Serv Safe certificate will loose two points on their final inspection score, Vaughan said.
The Cooperative Extension Service and the Health Department are going to meet the demands of this by offering the Serv Safe course in October, Vaughan said.
“This will benefit food service establishments as well as resident camp operations,” she said.
“It’s a win-win situation for the public and the two agencies,” Darkow said.
In addition to being knowledgeable of the occurrence of food allergies, the Health Department highlights five additional food safety techniques, including hand-washing habits, washing produce thoroughly before consumption, separating raw meats and poultry from ready-to-eat foods and foods that will be eaten raw such as fresh vegetables, keeping foods at the appropriate temperatures and knowing when to throw out foods.
National Food Safety Education Month, created in 1994, was established by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s International Food Safety Council.
It was developed to heighten the awareness about the importance of food safety education as well as increase consumer awareness about the importance of food safety, Vaughan said.
For more information about National Food Safety Education Month activities in Beaufort County during September, contact Vaughan at (252) 946-6048.
For more information about specific activities in North Carolina, contact Claudia Rumfelt-Wright at (919) 715-8497 or Wendy Campbell at (919) 733-7366.
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| Indian Wood — historical fiction about The Lost Colony |
tunne rat wrote on Jul 6, 2009 8:55 PM:
that is the biggest propganda word that every came out of butterfields and rino jones mouth in the past hundred years .
just 2 water boys for the obama socalist party , and a hand full of red necks that dont have a clue about whast they are talking about . "