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Food Safety Discovery Zone At The California State Fair
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety Discovery Zone (FSDZ) will continue its national food safety education tour with an exhibition at the California State Fair in Sacramento, July 14 through 30. The FSDZ is a 40-foot long exhibit that provides visitors of all ages with interactive and fun experiences that teach them how to prevent foodborne illness when preparing food at home.

This one of a kind, interactive food safety exhibit is visiting the California State Fair for the first time. Hours for the exhibit will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The exhibit will be staged at the California State Fairgrounds, near the Farm, between buildings B and C.

An estimated one in six (48 million) Americans get sick from foodborne illness each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The FSDZ teaches visitors how to prevent foodborne illness by emphasizing four fun and easy lessons:

• Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often.

• Separate: Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat and poultry separate from ready to eat foods.

• Cook: Always use a food thermometer to ensure foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature.

• Chill: Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry and egg products promptly.

 

To learn more about food safety practices, visit www.FoodSafety.gov or call the USDA Food Safety Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pacific Time. Families can also access “Ask Karen,” an online database of answers to specific questions related to preventing foodborne illnesses available 24/7 at www.askkaren.gov.