Despite ongoing advancements in food safety, the U.S. still sees over 48 million cases of food poisoning each year — and as many as 3,000 deaths. To curb this trend, the FDA has declared every September to be Food Safety Education Month, a campaign to empower consumers to protect themselves from foodborne illnesses.
The initiative is geared toward the public and providing best practices for food safety at home, but that doesn’t mean manufacturers and other stakeholders can’t participate as well. Food and beverage companies that take the time to promote food safety education to consumers can not only help the FDA reduce foodborne illness outbreaks, but also strengthen their relationships with consumers.
The FDA's Food Safety Education Month is a largely digital effort focused on educating consumers on proper food preparation techniques, handling best practices, and storage requirements to prevent contamination. Throughout the month, the agency collaborates with a wide variety of both government and private sector partners to create educational social media content, webinars, and community outreach programs to help prevent people from consuming pathogens.
Essentially, it covers all of the elements that can ‘go wrong’ in food safety after products leave food processing facilities. Unfortunately, despite manufacturing facilities’ diligent food safety programs, consumers can still contract foodborne illnesses if they mishandle their products or don’t take the proper precautions when preparing them at home. For food and beverage companies, this month is an opportunity to expand the net of their internal food safety systems beyond just maintaining operational standards, and actually help customers further mitigate risk.
Thanks to social media and the latest technology, there are more ways than ever for food and beverage companies to join the momentum of Food Safety Education Month. Here are four strategies to get started:
The FDA has already assembled their own social media toolkit to spread the word about food safety best practices. The simplest way food and beverage companies can make an impact during Food Safety Education Month is to share relevant FDA assets on their own social media. This allows them to contribute directly to the cause by providing valuable information to their customers and social followers without the time commitment of creating their own resources.
Food and beverage manufacturers can go a step beyond using third-party assets by creating and sharing their own graphics, videos, and other social content. Stakeholders should consider the biggest food safety threats consumers face from improperly handling or storing their products at home and build a campaign that speaks directly to mitigating those risks. For example, a yogurt manufacturer could highlight the importance of proper refrigeration of their products to avoid spoilage and pathogen growth.
For more extensive information, stakeholders can create a microsite, a resource section of their website, or an entirely separate portal for consumer food safety information about their products. This is a great way to directly educate customers while deepening their connection to and trust in the brand. These resources can be shared as part of a social media campaign as well.
Just like the FDA amplifies Food Safety Education Month with support from partners, food and beverage companies can expand the reach of their own campaign with influencers. Creating content with relevant social media personalities — especially if they already have a relationship to the brand through past marketing efforts — is a great way to create more engaging content, increase reach, and enhance the educational impact on customers.
Food Safety Education Month is a special time of year dedicated to raising public awareness and reducing foodborne illness outbreaks. However, the need to train frontline workers in food processing plants and other key facilities is a continuous and year-round demand.
AIB International has over a 100-year history educating frontline workers and executives alike about the latest best practices in food safety, risk mitigation, hygiene and sanitation, and more. Enroll your team in a food safety training program today to ensure they’re upholding the latest standards.