Community Corner

Fourth of July Food Safety Tips

One in six people will get sick from food-borne illness this year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, according to The Ad Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

With the Fourth of July approaching, the Ad Council, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are reminding people that foodborne illnesses surge during the summer.

Incidents of food poisoning increase substantially over the summer months because bacteria multiply faster in warm temperatures. The Ad Council provided the following stats:

  • Americans spend $400 million on beef alone for July 4th barbeques
  • USDA research shows that 1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before it has reached a safe internal temperature!
  • New FDA research done in collaboration with USDA shows that only 23% of Americans who own a food thermometer actually use it when grilling hamburgers
  • 48 million Americans (at least 1 in 6) will get sick from foodborne illness this year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths

As a reminder, this infographic was created that provides four easy tips to follow to prevent foodborne illnesses. Those steps are:

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  • When preparing food, wash hands and surfaces often.
  • Use separate plates for raw and cooked foods.
  • Cooks foods to the correct temperature using a food thermometer.
  • Chill food and do not leave it at room temperature for more than two hours.

For more food safety tips, go to FoodSafety.gov.


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