Did you know that an estimated 11 to 13 million Canadians become ill from food-borne bacteria each year? These illnesses occur when people consume food that is contaminated with harmful bacteria or other micro-organisms. Although some occurrences are bound to happen, there is much that can be done in terms of prevention. If you’re running a nutrition program, it is important to follow food safety practices that protect attendees from becoming ill, as well as teach them how to protect themselves.

The FightBAC! campaign of the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education highlights four main steps that can be taken to prevent food-borne illnesses when handling food:

• Clean! — Wash hands and surfaces often.
• Separate! — Don’t cross-contaminate between foods or between uncooked and cooked.
• Chill! — Refrigerate promptly.
• Cook! — Cook to adequate internal temperatures.

As you plan and run your nutrition program, consider how you can include information on food safety. For example, if you are offering a cooking class, you can build these practices right into your lesson plan, explaining them as you demonstrate and then encouraging participants to follow your lead. You may also want to display one of the FightBAC! posters, which clearly display the four steps mentioned above, to keep this information readily accessible to participants. Giving participants a take-away tip sheet or brochure as they leave can encourage them to practise safe food handling when they are cooking on their own.

The FightBAC! campaign has many educational tools geared to various age groups that you can use and download for free. Some resources that you may find useful are:

• Internal cooking temperature charts
• Storage charts
• Fact sheets and food safety tips
• Food Safety for Families guide
• Food Safety for Older Adults guide
• Board and computer games for youth

For more information and free downloadable resources on how to prevent food-borne illnesses, please visit www.canfightbac.org.