Statistics on Foodborne Disease demonstrates how frequently these safety concerns have become real problems for real people.

What does it cost food producers to keep our supply safe? What does it cost the public in labor productivity if the food supply isn’t safe? The economic aspects of food safety rules have been detailed in a report available online. (Adobe Acrobat file; if you do not have this reader you can download it free at www.adobe.com. This report is about 230K.) The Food Safety Viewing Room also has information on the costs of food safety.

The National Food Safety Initiative is a recent program designed to strengthen and simplify the food inspection processes already in place. Visit the links to find out how successful the program has been.

Find something unexpected in your cereal…. And it wasn’t a toy surprise? If you encounter problems with food, head to the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s guide on What to Do If You Have a Problem with Food Products.

The Top Ten Reasons to Handle Your Food Safely aren’t from a late-night talk show, but then again, your health is no laughing matter.

Want to know which bacteria will bug you most? Look at the Bacteria that Cause Foodborne Illness. (Acrobat)

The FDA has prepared some information on the safe handling and preparation of food. Check out the link to Foodborne Illness and Food Preparation in question-and-answer format on Food, Nutrition and Cosmetics Q&A.

Cleaning out your fridge? If you’re finding lots of unidentifiable furry substances in your Tupperware, you will want to look at Food Storage in the Home, a publication of the USDA in cooperation with Utah State University’s Agricultural Extension. (Acrobat)

What goes around, comes around. Pesticides, animal hormones and other substances that may affect your food are addressed in the USDA’s Extension Service Risks in Foods guidelines. (Acrobat)

To zap, or not to zap? The USDA gives advice on Food Safety and the Microwave. (Acrobat)

Mmmmm…. Want to save this year’s raspberry crop as a jam? Avoid getting yourself in a food safety jam by heeding the warnings of the USDA’s Major Canning Sins. Preserve more than the fruit, preserve your health! A more comprehensive Complete Canning Guide is also available. (both Acrobat, Complete Canning Guide file is large.)

Before you start to save the corn or tomatoes from the garden, make sure you’re properly equipped. Check the USDA’s advice on planning for food preservation. (Acrobat)

Got Mom’s recipe for the perfect beef chili or spaghetti sauce? Make sure you’re cooking it right by looking at the links from the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s page on Cooking Ground Beef Safely.

Published with Thanksgiving planning in mind, the Countdown to the Holiday guide makes buying that turkey a little less of a headache.

Interested in making the world a safer place to eat? The Food Safety and Inspection Service, an agency of the USDA, has established a Partnership for Food Safety Education. Get the Partnership’s materials for the Fight Bac! Campaign at Spread the Word.

Got kids? Print out this coloring book on food safety… and make sure the really young ones don’t nibble on the crayons. The FDA also has a page just for kids.

The latest recalls from the Food Safety and Inspection Service are online. Check them out before you hit the supermarket aisles.

Information on what the USDA and other government agencies have been doing to prevent "Mad Cow" disease in the United States is available. It’s a moo-ving read.

When in Rome, and then returning home, can you bring that sausage with you? Enough to supply a restaurant? Traveler’s Tips is a publication from the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and lets you know what the US Customs officials will and won’t allow into the United States. The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States contains information on what duties and tariffs will be charged for importation of various goods. Sections I and II detail any food matter that you may be tempted to bring into the country.

The 1997 Food Code is the list of laws that restaurants must obey to keep you safe. It’s comprehensive and lets you know why your waitress should ask you to use a new plate for each trip to the salad bar.

Checking labels for expiration dates, use-by dates, or best-if-used-by dates? Find out about dating labels from the Food Dating Game.