Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is urging residents to focus on safe food handling and preparation as September marks National Food Safety Education Month. This period, also known as Food Safety Awareness Month, coincides with events like Labor Day weekend cookouts and football tailgate parties, where unsanitary practices could lead to foodborne illnesses.

"Fall in Illinois is synonymous with food and football," stated IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. "As Labor Day approaches, marking the unofficial end of summer, IDPH is commemorating Food Education Safety Month this September and encouraging our residents to follow simple rules for handling and preparing food to ensure safety and prevent illness."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 48 million people in the U.S., or about one in six Americans, experience some form of foodborne illness each year. These illnesses can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, fever, and chills. Annually, 128,000 cases result in hospitalization, with an estimated 3,000 deaths attributed to foodborne illness.

To prevent these illnesses, IDPH recommends following basic safety guidelines: clean, separate, cook, and chill.

- Clean: Wash hands and surfaces frequently. Germs causing food poisoning can survive in many places and spread easily. Hands should be washed for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before eating or during meal preparation.

- Separate: Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from ready-to-eat foods both when shopping and storing them.

- Cook: Ensure cooked food reaches a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria by using a food thermometer. Different foods have specific minimum cooking temperatures for safety.

- Chill: Refrigerate promptly any raw meat or poultry and cooked leftovers to prevent bacterial growth. Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than two hours or one hour if above 90°F.

Additionally, it is advised to inquire about guests' food allergies and be aware of the nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. Reading labels carefully can help manage these risks.

More information on food safety education can be found at Food Safety (illinois.gov). The IDPH also provides downloadable resources including coloring pages for children at ABCS of FOOD SAFETY (illinois.gov).