FDA/CFSAN's News for Educator: January - March 2017

January - March 2017 Welcome to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition’s (CFSAN) News for Educators! Check out our latest information and materials for educating your consumer groups. We also encourage you to share this bi-monthly update and invite your colleagues to sign up for future issues! Food Safety Your Game Plan for a Food-Safe Game Day. Super Bowl Sunday is a great American tradition. It’s also the second largest day for food consumption after Thanksgiving. Super Bowl parties often include game day favorites like chicken wings, chili, guacamole, and chips and salsa. In fact, it is estimated that more than 1.23 billion chicken wing portions will be consumed during Super Bowl weekend! Sadly, the combination of finger foods, many people sharing communal dishes, and treats that are left out for long periods of time can lead to foodborne illness (also known as food poisoning). The best host wants to make sure that foodborne illness is not invited to the party, so remind consumers to follow the 4 steps to food safety (clean, separate, cook, and chill) and find more safe serving tips at Serving up Safe Buffets. Nutrition Updated Nutrition Facts Label Released by FDA. A lot has changed in the American diet since 1993 – the year the Nutrition Facts label was first introduced to provide important information on food and beverage packages. Today, people are eating larger portions; more is known about the relationship between nutrients and the risk of chronic diseases; and obesity, heart disease, and other chronic diseases continue to be leading public health problems. That’s why on May 20, 2016, the FDA announced the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods. The new label expands and highlights the information most needed for consumers to make informed food choices and follow healthy dietary practices. Manufacturers will need to use the new label by July 26, 2018, and small businesses will have an additional year to comply. During this transition time, you will see the current Nutrition Facts label or the new label on products. With American Heart Month in February and National Nutrition Month® in March, it’s a perfect time to encourage consumers to check out the new fact sheet New and Improved Nutrition Facts Label and visit Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label to learn more. Cosmetics  “Cosmetics IQ” Online Quiz. As a health educator, you likely have many discussions with consumers about the various products regulated by FDA – including cosmetics. But how much do consumers really know about common cosmetics products, practices, and terminology? For example, did you know that the most serious risk from mascara is scratching your eye during application and then getting an infection from germs on the wand, or that it’s possible to have an allergic reaction to natural products or ingredients? To start the New Year off right, invite consumers to test their cosmetics knowledge and find answers to common questions about safely using cosmetics at FDA’s Cosmetics Quiz..

2017 National Food Safety Education Conference Registration is open for the sixth National Consumer Food Safety Education Conference will be held on January 25-27, 2017, in Washington, DC. The conference is designed to bring together food safety educators from academia, government, industry, professional organizations, and consumer advocacy and assistance groups to focus on Behavior Change ─ how to effectively help consumers avoid foodborne illnesses by changing unsafe food handling habits to safer behaviors.

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