Statistically Speaking

September is National Food Safety Month. In an effort to stop the spread of food-borne illnesses, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s International Food Safety Council designated September as the month to promote the importance of food safety.

Number of known diseases transmitted through food: 200

Number of illnesses caused annually by food-borne diseases in the US: 76 million

Number of deaths caused annually by food-borne diseases in the US: 5200

Suggested amount of time to spend hand-washing to avoid transmitting food-borne illnesses: 20 seconds

Length of time eggs can be stored and still be considered safe: 3 weeks

Number of variations of the Salmonella bacteria found in poultry and eggs: 2000