Food Safety: Teaching Consumers Their Role

Through HACCP inspection and personal pride meat processors do an excellent job ensuring that meat is as safe as possible up to the point of sale. The challenge remains with regard to educating consumers about safe food handling practices. Below are some easy ways to teach consumers their role in keeping the meat they purchase as safe as possible.

Many economical and practical alternatives to costly educational programs are available. Consumers are often busy and prioritize their time accordingly. Therefore to effectively convey your information it must be readily available and straightforward. The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) launched a Fight BAC program a couple years ago, which is an excellent source of information. Their website, www.fightbac.org, offers a wealth of information on everything from safe handling to starting an educational program. The website could be a valuable resource as you begin to put together your own customized consumer education program. Pamphlets are an affordable way to get the information to the consumer. They can be displayed on the counter or tucked into the customers' grocery sack. The customer can then read the pamphlet at his or her leisure. Pamphlets can be made on a home computer using Microsoft Publisher, which allows for customization, and then copied. Pamphlets can also be ordered online at www.fightbac.org/store. Another option would be to custom print posters to hang in or around the butcher case. While customers are waiting they can look over safe handling practices. Most stores that offer copying services should be able create and print custom posters. Posters can also be ordered through the same website listed above. A third option is to custom print magnets that the customer can take home and place on their refrigerator. These would be a constant reminder of safe food handling every time they opened the refrigerator. Any office supply store carries magnet sheets that can be printed using a simple home computer and printer. The magnets cost about $0.35 each and can be custom printed with your business information. Not only would the magnets serve to educate consumers, but they would also provide advertising for your business.

Important information to include in the pamphlets, posters, and magnets:

Other websites that may offer helpful information: