September is Food Education Safety Month, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is encouraging the public to learn how to reduce foodborne illnesses.

Every year, one in six Americans gets sick from foodborne illnesses, said the FDA. Foodborne illnesses also result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths yearly. Certain groups of people are at greater risk of getting a foodborne illness, including children younger than five years old, older adults (especially those 65 years and older), pregnant people and their unborn children, as well as people with cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, organ transplants and autoimmune diseases.

According to the FDA, certain foods have a higher risk for foodborne illnesses including:

• Raw or undercooked meat or poultry.
• Hot dogs, luncheon meats, other deli-style meats and poultry products—unless they're reheated until steaming hot.
• Unwashed fresh vegetables, including lettuce/salads.
• Unpasteurized (raw) milk and products made with raw milk, like yogurt and cheese.
• Soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, such as feta, brie, camembert, blue-veined and Mexican-style cheeses (such as queso fresco, panela, asadero and queso blanco).
• Raw fish products, such as ceviche and seafood mixes, as well as products containing uncooked or undercooked seafood, including blanched or seared shrimp and crab, and refrigerated smoked seafood.
• Raw shellfish (like oysters, clams, mussels and scallops) and their juices.
• Raw or undercooked eggs, or foods containing raw or undercooked eggs (like dough and batter), as well as certain homemade salad dressings (like Caesar dressing).

The FDA said that you can lower the risk of foodborne illnesses and food poisoning by following four steps—clean (wash hands and surfaces often), separate (separate raw meats from other foods), cook (cook to the right temperature) and chill (refrigerate foods promptly).

To learn more about food safety in the setting of c-store foodservice programs, register for the NACS Food Safety Forum, taking place October 7 in conjunction with the NACS Show in Las Vegas.

“Food safety and protecting public health is not a competitive advantage,” Dr. Jay Ellingson, chief scientific officer at La Crosse, Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip, said at last year’s Food Safety Forum. Making sure food safety behaviors are prioritized throughout an organization is how we elevate our entire industry—and that’s the reason why NACS created the Food Safety Forum in 2022.

For more on what the Food Safety Forum covered last year, read “Food Safety Is a Shared Responsibility” in the January 2024 issue of NACS Magazine.