Program Title:

OKLAHOMA FOODSAFE PROGRAM

Theme:

Food safety for Oklahoma consumers

The Challenge:

Each year in the United States up to 81 million people suffer from foodborne illness and 9,100 die. Two to three percent of cases lead to secondary long-term illnesses such as reactive arthritis, kidney failure, or meningitis. Costs for lost productivity and health care are estimated at up to $9.4 billion annually. Oklahoma does not know the number of cases or deaths due to foodborne illness that occur but the problem does exist in the state. Keeping food safe from farm to table requires a continuous chain of responsibility for the safety of the food. If that chain is broken at any point, foodborne illness can result. Today because of lack of knowledge and/or failure to practice safe handling procedures or to make safe food choices and decisions, the weak link in the chain is often the consumer.

Extension's Response:

The Oklahoma FoodSafe Program works primarily with consumers to increase the safety of the food supply in our state. By increasing their awareness and knowledge of safe food behavior and choices and by teaching them to take responsibility for the safety of their food they can reduce their risk of foodborne illness. The program has offered food safety education in a variety of projects including the Oklahoma Healthy Living Program for adults and children, leader training for Family and Community Educators, a public service announcement campaign called "Tasty Safety Hints," the Oklahoma Gardening public television program, and a weekly television segment called "Food for Thought" broadcast directly into daycare centers to reach daycare providers.

Outcome:

The Healthy Living program for adults included food safety information in each of its eight lessons along with nutrition and food preparation education. As a result of this programming eighty-three percent of participants increased their food safety score. In the past four years 606 people have completed the program. The primary food safety message of the youth component has been to encourage children to always check for a brown color throughout their hamburgers before taking a bite. Of the 63 children who completed the program forty-three percent increased their score when asked if they checked to see if their hamburger was brown all the way through before eating.

Other educational projects have targeted raising awareness of food safety and increasing a sense of personal responsibility for the safety of food selected and eaten. Substantial numbers of Oklahomans have been reached through such projects as:

• Participants in the Healthy Living Impact Program showed significant improvement in food safety and food preparation practices from 1996-1999.
• Leader training for Oklahoma Family & Community Educators in 1999 reached 4,984 club members.
• The "Oklahoma Gardening" public television kitchen segments on safe food preservation and preparation reach 175,000 viewers for each of its 14-18 annual appearances.
• The "Tasty Safety Hints" pubic service announcement campaign reached over 800,000 Oklahomans with messages on food safety for the grilling and holiday seasons in 1998.
• Thirty-nine "Food for Thought" segments, part of the National Child Care Network broadcasts, were broadcast directly into 40 daycare centers increases their knowledge and awareness of food safety issues for children and families in 1998.

Impact:

These programs all represent potential reductions in foodborne illness risk for Oklahomans. For each case of foodborne illness that does not occur, Oklahoma saves money in medical costs and avoids productivity losses.

Collaborating organizations, agencies, and teaching, research, extension partnerships:

OSU Departments of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Animal Science, Entomology & Plant Pathology, Food & Agricultural Products Research & Technology Center, Agricultural Education, Communications and 4-H Youth Development; Oklahoma Beef Industry Council; Teletraining Systems

Date Posted:

June 13, 2000

Contact:

Barbara Brown
Food Specialist
309 HES
Stillwater, OK 74078

Email: bbrown@okstate.edu
Web: http://fcs.okstate.edu/food
Voice: 405.744.6824
Fax: 405.744.3538