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| Now more than ever, we need to be vigilant about food safety. Massive beef recalls, contamination of imported produce and seafood as well as poorly trained employees handling our food all threaten our family’s health and safety. That’s why the highly trained grocery workers and food safety professionals of the United Food and Commercial Workers are publishing The Food Safety Bulletin. The Food Safety Bulletin allows those professionals to share their decades of experience in food safety with you and help you better protect yourself and family. |
Meet The Experts |
| Marty Woods, Sr. Butcher and Meat Cutter Marty has been a butcher for over thirty years, and has spent his career providing high-quality and safe food to consumers. As a butcher and manager, he’s opened many meat departments and trained innumerable butchers. He will be providing you with tips on selecting meat, guaranteeing freshness and protecting your family from tainted foods. |
John Bongiorno Produce Department For over thirty-five years John Bongiorno has worked in the produce industry. At 13, John started working at a produce stand in New Jersey, and now as a Union produce expert it is his job to guarantee freshness, quality and safety for his customers. He knows produce—and he’ll make sure you do too. |
Dean Lowe Master Butcher and Meatcutter Instructor Union Butchers must complete over 4,000 hours of training, and Master Butcher Instructor Dean Lowe teaches the college-level courses union butcher and meatcutter apprentices are required to attend. A butcher with over three decades of experience, Dean makes sure union members are well-trained in food safety and providing consumers the high quality of service they deserve. |
Who We Are |
| We are the union representing grocery workers and other employees in the food industry. Our Union sets standards of food safety, training and service far higher than the industry requires. You know us from your local supermarket, but what you may not know is that we provide extensive training and informational resources for our members so they can better protect and serve you. Our members are career employees, often with decades of experience in the food industry, and their knowledge and experience makes a difference in your safety. With food safety becoming more important, we’ve decided to bring our expertise and advice directly to you. Look for information and resources in this bulletin or at our website, www.FoodSafetyNews.org. |
Quick Food Safety Tips |
- Always Check Sell-By Date
- Wash or peel all produce before eating
- Prepare all raw meats and poultry separately
- Refrigerate preishable foods promptly
- Shop for frozen or refrigerated foods last
- Always check frozen seafood for country of origin or packing
For more tips, be sure to return to www.FoodSafetyNews.org! |
News Bites |
Making Food Safe Los Angeles Times, March 4, 2008 “Each year, food sickens 76 million people in this country, according to an April 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office. It sends 325,000 to the hospital and kills 5,000.” Removing Risk of Products from China Pasadena Star-News, February 14, 2008 “In the past year, the Food and Drug Administration has detained at U.S. ports such Chinese delicacies as: Dried apples preserved with a cancer-causing chemical; Frozen catfish laden with banned antibiotics; Scallops and sardines coated with putrefying bacteria; Mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides.” |