Celebrating 25 Years of Consumer Food Safety Education

By Ashley Eisenbeiser, MS, CFS, Senior Director, Food and Product Safety Programs, FMI

The year 1997 – It was the year that the Green Bay Packers won the NFL Championship for the first time since 1967. Men in Black was released in theaters. James Cameron's Titanic premiered in the U.S. Netscape was the browser of choice.  The domain name for the web search engine Google is registered. And perhaps my favorite, the McFlurry was introduced.  

Also in 1997, leaders from federal and state government, industry and consumer organizations were working hard to lay the foundation for what would be the Partnership for Food Safety Education. Recognizing a need for enhanced food safety education, under the leadership of Dagmar Farr, FMI chief member relations officer and SVP, membership and education, the Partnership for Food Safety Education was established. 

FMI joined 13 other organizations as founding members and signed on to the MOU to create the framework for collaboration to develop science-based, consumer-oriented messages to promote safe food handling practices and reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Because of that strong foundation, rooted in science and a collaborative framework, for the last two and half decades, the Partnership has led the way in consumer food safety education. 

For many years, FMI has tracked consumer expectations when it comes to food safety. What we have found is that consumers expect the food they purchase to be safe. They also assign the responsibility for food safety to many parties along the supply chain, including government organizations, manufacturers and food stores. They even view themselves as playing an important role in keeping food safe. 

Food safety is a collective responsibility and the Partnership for Food Safety Education embodies that collective. In early October, representatives from government, the food industry and consumer groups gathered to celebrate the milestone of 25 years, a diverse group of stakeholders all who share the common goal of securing, maintaining and promoting a safe and secure food supply.   

From the past to the present and into the future, FMI supports the food industry in helping consumers safely prepare family meals at home through the support of the Partnership for Food Safety Education. We look forward to the next 25 years and our continued partnership to advance consumer food safety education. 

Don’t miss out on the Partnership’s upcoming 2023 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference on March 1-3, 2023! 

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