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food safety and inspection service

Tackle Foodborne Illness When Ordering Takeout or Delivered Foods

The Super Bowl is the biggest and most anticipated sporting event of the year. Friends and families “huddle” and consume foods and snacks for the duration of the game while cheering for their favorite team. This iconic annual event is often celebrated by ordering takeout and delivered foods, which if left out too long, can cause foodborne illness.

Turkey Day Myths

Quit food safety confusion cold turkey this Thanksgiving! While this holiday is a great time to spend with family and friends, it’s also time to bust some myths.

Cooking Meat: Is It Done Yet?

A meal preparation study (PDF, 1.3 MB) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) revealed that only 55% of people use a food thermometer to verify if their food is safe to consume, despite 88% of participants reporting that they own a thermometer. Instead, participants in the study relied on visual cues such as color, firmness and time. But are visual cues enough to prevent foodborne illness?

USDA Propels This Scientist’s Career Trajectory

You could say that Andreya Dupree is flying high with the USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), partially due to being a licensed drone pilot. “USDA was the place that gave me a chance to continue to learn and grow. I've received many opportunities with USDA,” said Dupree.

Food Safety is About People

When the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new effort to reduce Salmonella in poultry, we led with the numbers. The number of illnesses due to Salmonella has not decreased over the last two decades. Year after year, people have become ill with Salmonella infections at roughly the same rate. Each case of foodborne illness represents someone whose life was impacted. And among the most vulnerable — children, the elderly, and those with underlying health issues — those impacts can be serious, leading to physical, emotional, and financial harm. These are the people who are always top of mind for me and who motivate me to come to work each day.