FSM 266: Separating Truth from Myth: Why Do Food Safety Myths Persist?

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Episode Transcription

From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year 48 million Americans experience foodborne illness. Some of us are hospitalized, some die. Food safety practices are simple, based on science, and reduce foodborne illness. Yet, during food handing, consumers often practice more myth than scientific truth in their homes.

Myths are often rooted in cultural, traditional, and learned practices. They persist in how we shop, store, and prepare food at home. Then, misinformation spreads through social media and word of mouth. The next ten episodes of Food Safety in a Minute will focus on the most common food safety myths. We’ll separate truth, based on science, from myth. Make this year a healthy year!

Thanks for listening, I’m Susie Craig with Washington State University Extension.

Resources

Washington State Department of Health. Food Safety Myths. Accessed online

Partnership for Food Safety Education. Home Food Safety MythBusters.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Foodborne Illness Surveillance and Outbreak Data.