By Kevin L. Robinson, DeCA public affairs specialist
DeCA NEWS RELEASE
FORT LEE, Va. — Keeping foodborne illnesses at bay is a constant job, one shared by retailers and consumers alike, Defense Commissary Agency officials say.
“Commissaries inspect the product pipeline, from the farm to the supplier to the store shelf,” said Col. Alisa R. Wilma, director of DeCA’s Public Health and Safety. “However, that responsibility doesn’t stop with our military veterinarians and store food safety specialists. Our patrons also have a responsibility to protect themselves from foodborne illnesses that could result from mishandling food.”
In observance of Food Safety Education Month in September, DeCA joins the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety Inspection Service, the Department of Health and Human Services and other organizations to help prevent foodborne illnesses by increasing awareness of improperly handling food items.
According to the CDC, each year an estimated one-in-six Americans get sick while 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses. The five most common illnesses are listeria, salmonella, E. coli, vibrio vulnificus and botulism.
“We preach the ‘Be Food Safe’ guidelines because they’re an easy tool for our patrons to use at home in reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses,” Wilma said. “You’d be surprised how many potential problems can be prevented just by washing your hands before, during and after handling food.”
The “Be Food Safe” message, developed by the CDC and the USDA, is simple: clean, separate, cook and chill. They are the basis for the following safe handling techniques:
Wilma said commissary patrons should always bring a cooler during a long trip to help prevent spoilage by maintaining proper temperatures of foods on the trip home.
“Preventing cross contamination is also very important,” she said. “That’s why patrons must keep different perishable foods separated, whether the groceries are in the shopping cart or in the car.”
A few more tips for handling food safely can be found at www.homefoodsafety.org:
The DeCA website is a good resource for food safety. To find the latest food safety alerts and product recalls affecting military commissaries, visit the News Room on commissaries.com and select the box that says “Food Recall.”