Skip to main content
Skip to main content

FoodSafety.gov


Check Your Steps! Clean: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often to Keep Your Family Safer from Food Poisoning

July 12, 2011 Diane Van, Deputy Director of the Food Safety Education Staff, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Bacteria exist everywhere in our environment, and some of them can make us really sick. Illness-causing bacteria exist in or on food, on countertops, kitchen utensils, hands, pets, and in the dirt where food grows. As part of the Food Safe Families campaign, this week’s Check Your Steps blog focuses...

Health and Safety

Food Safe Families: First-Ever National Multimedia Food Safety Campaign Launches to Reduce Food Poisoning in the U.S.

June 28, 2011 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

Today, USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services launched a true first for our departments and our nation’s public health system. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service partnered with the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Ad Council...

Health and Safety

Cooking Meat? Check the New Recommended Temperatures

May 25, 2011 Diane Van, Manager, USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

Cross posted from the FoodSafety.gov blog: On May 24, USDA made some important changes in their recommended cooking temperatures for meats. Here’s what you need to know:

Health and Safety

Holiday Food Safety Bloopers

December 22, 2010 Diane Van, Manager, USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

Cross-posted from the FoodSafety.gov blog. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline talked to about 350 people on Thanksgiving Day about thawing, preparing and storing turkey. Most people were right on track and just needed some reassuring about handling the big bird. Some people, however, called about...

Health and Safety

Holiday Parties: Spread Cheer, Not Foodborne Illness

December 14, 2010 Diane Van, Manager, USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline

Cross-posted from FoodSafety.gov. It’s that time of year when the parties never seem to end. They’re great occasions for exchanging good will and gifts – but not the dangerous bacteria that cause foodborne illness. Here are some of the unwanted guests who may try to crash your party:

Health and Safety

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Cooking the Turkey

November 23, 2010 Diane Van, Manager, USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline

Cross-posted from the FoodSafety.gov blog. November is the busiest month of the year for those of us on the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline. During the week of Thanksgiving, we get lots of questions about how to safely cook a turkey. Here are answers to the questions we hear most often.

Health and Safety

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Plan Ahead

November 10, 2010 Diane Van, Manager, USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline

Cross-posted from the FoodSafety.gov blog. Thanksgiving is closer than you think. If you’re thinking about having a traditional turkey dinner, now is the time to begin planning the big meal. Planning ahead can help ensure that the special meal is successful, safe, and stress-free.

Health and Safety
Subscribe to FoodSafety.gov

AskUSDA

One central entry point for you to access information and help from USDA.