Today’s Mercury, the Manhattan, Kansas, newspaper, contained a feature article on the International Food Safety Network’s approach to teaching and informing audiences about food safety. The article’s author, Luke Thompson, writes about the evolution of the Food Safety Network and the new approach to sharing information about food safety:
Then, in 2004, the FSN reported a research project that showed during 60 hours of watching celebrity cooking shows, mostly in Canada, the chefs made a food safety mistake every four minutes. Powell said the report drew a huge response, and he realized he’d discovered a new way to communicate to his audience.
Soon, the FSN website was redesigned, and Powell, who had briefly been a reporter, began writing commentary designed to catch people’s attention.
Rather than just telling people to wash their hands or take care of their food, the FSN uses catchy slogans and pictures and disgusting stories designed to liven up issues that can sometimes be deadly.
"If I say, ‘Wash your hands’, people might not listen, but if I say ‘Don’t eat poop’…" Powell said as he smiles, knowing he doesn’t have to finish the sentence.
Visit the International Food Safety Network website for more information about food safety.