What is your brand doing for National Food Safety Education Month?

September is National Food Safety Month and the CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) and FDA (USA Food & Drug Administration) are leading the charge to help spread awareness around food safety.

For those of us who spend a significant chunk of our waking hours dedicated to ensuring food safety professionally, we already understand the importance of getting it right. But campaigns like this play an important role in educating consumers about safe food handling procedures, as well as, unite our industry as a whole to ultimately raise the bar for the benefit of everyone. Evidence shows that safe food handling standards are improved when the whole industry works together with consumers. 

And experience tells us that where safety is a priority for both industry and consumers, a positive and strong food safety culture naturally develops.

Benefits of getting involved in National Food Safety Month 

Most of us already know the importance of taking food safety seriously. Chances are, you’re already adept at identifying and mitigating health hazards, managing procedures, and addressing compliance issues. But that’s not the case for the general population on the whole, and in light of COVID-19 related challenges, consumers are preparing more meals at home and seeking to educate themselves about food safety-related matters more than ever before - so it makes sense for your brand to help echo the key messages and: 

• Show your values and attitudes align with this cause 
• Enhance your brand identity and build trust by educating consumers on safe food handling 
• Empower consumers to make confident choices when purchasing, while keeping your organization “top of mind”
• Help raise the bar for our industry as a whole

How you can get involved

Both CDC and FDA have provided a range of free educational materials to help build awareness around food safety - both within the food industry and across the consumer landscape. 

There’s a bunch of great social media templates you can share while food safety education month is in full swing. 

Here are a few ideas:

•         Grilling at home? Get some grilling tips.
•         Are you home-schooling your kids this fall? Teach them how to prevent food poisoning by washing hands, using a food thermometer, and refrigerating food promptly. Learn more, here. 

There’s also some fun and informative graphics you can share, here.

Several learning resources are also available to help promote safe food handling and show ways to further develop your food safety plans:

• Safe Food Handling – Follow these four key steps to food safety
• Education Resource Library – Find printable educational materials, videos, and more!
• Science and Our Food Supply – Bring food science into your middle and high school classrooms.
• Consumer Food Safety Educator Evaluation Toolbox and Guide – Get tips, tools, and examples to plan, develop, and evaluate food safety programs and activities.

Ready to get involved? 

Follow the links in this blog or talk to the team here at  CMX about how you can improve your Food Safety Management within your supply chain or retail operations. See for yourself why our Food Safety Software  is trusted by some of the world’s best-known brands including Burger King, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Sonic Drive-In.