Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education

Welcome to our news centre. This section, with recent news releases, fact sheets and contact information, is meant to be a one stop shop to help pull your story together quickly and efficiently.

Swine Flu:  Not From Food

The Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education reminds consumers that the swine influenza virus (A/H1N1) is not spread by food.  Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe.  Use a food thermometer to ensure cooked pork reaches an internal temperature of 71ºC (165ºF). The swine flu virus is spread from humans to humans.

Frequent and proper hand washing is one important way to reduce the risk of illness and to avoid the spread of viruses from one person to another.  Wash hands with warm water and soap for a full 20 seconds - about as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice.  It is always important to practice safe food handling at home as a way to reduce the risk of illness.  See www.canfightbac.org for more!

For more information about the swine flu visit Health Canada www.hc-sc.gc.ca;
Public Health Agency of Canada
www.phac-aspc.gc.ca


The Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education reminds CONSUMERS TO ALWAYS
Clean: Wash hand with warm water and soap for a least 20 seconds before and after handling food and wash surfaces often.

SEPARATE:  Don't cross-contaminate.  Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and their juices away from other foods.

COOK:  Cook to a safe internal temperature.  Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of foods.

CHILL:  Refrigerate or freeze food promptly.  Keep your refrigetator at 4ºC (40ºF) or lower, and use an appliance thermometer to monitor.

Visit www.canfightbac.org for more safe food handling tips.



News Releases

March 5, 2006
Risky Canadian BBQ Practices Spark National Food Safety Awareness Campaign
Every year, Canadians welcome the warm weather by firing up their barbeques for the first summer cook-out.
November 8, 2005
Government of Canada Supports Launch of Mrs. Cookwell Food Safety Campaign for Young Adults
OTTAWA - True or False? Using the sniff test to tell whether food is still “good” is OK? Answer . . . false!
August 10, 2005
Lunchbag Letdowns?
Research suggests Canadians need education around safe lunch-packing practices.