Ag Outlook 10-9-2020

The Food Safety and Inspection Service is in the middle of a five year study aimed at learning about consumer food handling as well as responses to safety material FSIS has been distributing. The director of the group’s educational effort says so far they were surprised by several of their findings. For one thing handwashing, even in the era of COVID, remains an issue. Also, cross contamination is identified as a bigger problem than previously understood. Add to that, too many of us don’t know how – or don’t use – food thermometers when preparing hamburgers. The education director at FSIS says a large scale behavior change continues to elude them.