Food Safety Resources for Awareness and Outreach

The following resources, messages, and graphics are provided for local public health partners to use and share to help raise awareness about foodborne illness and promote food safety.

Food safety messaging can be shared year-round, but key times for awareness include:

Warmer-weather months

Many foodborne illnesses have a seasonal pattern, with many cases in California usually occurring during warmer-weather months, such as June, July, and August.

Before or during holidays, food festivals, sporting events, and other local events when people come together to share and enjoy food

CDC Food Safety Tips for Special Events and Holidays

September – National Food Safety Education Month

FDA Food Safety Education Month Resources

FDA Everyday Food Safety Resources for Health Educators

Graphics & Social Media Messaging

Graphics may be co-branded with local agency information and can be used for social media, digital ads, or as embedded links on webpages. Click an image to view and download (right-click and select “Save image as”).

Food Safety Steps

Reporting Foodborne Illness

Food-specific Messaging (Eggs, Raw Dough, Oysters)

Seasonal and Holiday Food Messaging

Food Safety Steps

	Suggested message: Following four simple steps at home — Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill — can help protect you and your loved ones from food poisoning. Learn more: https://bit.ly/CDPHFoodborneIllnesses
	Suggested message: Practice the four steps of #FoodSafety! Step 1 – Clean: Wash your hands and the surfaces where you prepare food with warm, soapy water before you begin cooking. Learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/keep-food-safe.html#clean
	Suggested message: Practice the four steps of #FoodSafety! Step 2 – Separate: Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from ready-to-eat foods like salad and deli meats. Germs from raw meat can easily spread to other food if you don’t keep them separate. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/keep-food-safe.html#separate
	Suggested message: Practice the four steps of #FoodSafety! Step 3 – Cook: Heat food to the right temperature to kill any germs that can make you sick. Use a food thermometer to make sure meat has been fully cooked. Learn more: https://bit.ly/38sc2fd
	Suggested message: Practice the four steps of #FoodSafety! Step 4 – Chill: Refrigerate perishable food right away to prevent germs from growing. Germs can grow in food if left out at room temperature. Learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/keep-food-safe.html#chill
	Suggested message: September is #FoodSafety Education Month! Teach kids how to prepare food using the 4 steps of food safety: clean, separate, cook, and chill. Teaching good habits now will pay off later. Get fun games and activities for kids: https://www.fightbac.org/kidsfoodsafety/kids-games-and-activities/ #FoodSafetyMonth

Reporting Foodborne Illness

What to do if you think you have food poisoning

Report it to your county health department

See a health care provider to get tested

Keep track of what you ate in the past week

Suggested messages: 

Did you know? You can help @CAPublicHealth track and investigate foodborne outbreaks! If you think you have food poisoning:
- Report it to your local health department
- See a health care provider to get tested
- Keep track of what and where you ate

Your reports make a difference and can help keep others from getting sick. Learn more about foodborne illnesses and outbreaks: https://bit.ly/CDPHFoodborneIllnesses

Help us track and investigate foodborne outbreaks! Report food poisoning to your local health department. See a health care provider if you’re sick, and keep track of what & where you ate. Your reports make a difference! https://bit.ly/CDPHFoodborneIllnesses

Food-specific Messaging (Eggs, Raw Dough, Raw Milk, Oysters)

CDPH Safe at Home-Oyster Handling (PDF)

English | Spanish | Vietnamese | Simplified Chinese

	Suggested message: Happy Fry-day! Eggs can have germs called #Salmonella in them, so cook eggs or dishes made with eggs fully. Remember: Wash your hands and any surfaces that touch raw eggs so germs don’t spread. Get more #FoodSafety tips: https://bit.ly/SalmonellaEggsCDC
	Suggested message: Say “no” to tasting raw dough. Raw flour and eggs in dough or batter can contain germs that can make you sick. Don’t risk it – wait to eat dough or batter until it’s fully cooked. Learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/no-raw-dough.html #FoodSafety #CookieDough
	Suggested messages: Did you know that raw (unpasteurized) milk and raw dairy products can make you sick? #Salmonella is just one type of harmful germ that can be found in raw milk. Anyone can get sick from these germs, but some people are more likely to get very sick, including young children and older adults. Learn more: https://bit.ly/RawMilkCDPH Raw milk might seem like a fresh and natural choice for your family, but raw milk can contain germs from animal poop that can make some people seriously sick, especially young kids. Protect your family by choosing #pasteurized milk, which is a safer option. Learn more: https://bit.ly/RawMilkCDPH #RawMilk #ChoosePasteurized
	Suggested message: Raw milk and dairy products made with raw milk can be contaminated with animal poop germs that can cause food poisoning and other serious illnesses. Some people, especially children, may even need hospital care because they got sick from raw milk. The best way to stay safe? Choose #pasteurized milk and cheese! https://bit.ly/RawMilkCDPH #RawMilk #ChoosePasteurized
	Suggested message: Why is pasteurization important? Pasteurization is the process of heating beverages and dairy products (like milk) to kill harmful germs that can make you sick. To protect yourself and your family, choose dairy products that state on the label that they are #pasteurized. Learn more: https://bit.ly/RawMilkCDPH #RawMilk #ChoosePasteurized
	Suggested message: Even on the cleanest farms, germs from animal poop can get into milk used to make dairy products. If you drink raw milk, you could get sick from harmful germs in the milk. The best way to prevent illness from dairy products is to choose and use pasteurized milk, which has been heated to kill harmful germs. Learn more: https://bit.ly/RawMilkCDPH #RawMilk #ChoosePasteurized
	Suggested messages: Even healthy, happy dairy cows can carry germs that make people sick. Germs from cow poop can easily make their way into milk during the milking process. If you or your child drink raw milk, you might be drinking germs from cow poop! These germs can make people very sick, and some might even need hospital care. The safest option for your family is to drink pasteurized milk. Learn why: https://bit.ly/RawMilkCDPH Germs from cow poop can get into milk during the milking process. These germs can make people very sick, and some might even need hospital care. The safest option is to drink #pasteurized milk. Learn more: https://bit.ly/RawMilkCDPH #RawMilk #ChoosePasteurized
	Suggested message: Did you know there are health risks with drinking raw milk? Germs in raw milk can make some people very sick, especially young children (less than 5 years old) and people with weakened immune systems. For the safety of your family, choose pasteurized milk! Learn more: https://bit.ly/RawMilkCDPH #RawMilk #ChoosePasteurized
	Suggested message: If you’re thinking about drinking raw milk because you believe it is a good source of beneficial bacteria (probiotics), keep in mind that you may instead get sick from the harmful bacteria. Probiotics can be found in pasteurized dairy products (such as yogurt or kefir), which are safer to eat than raw milk. Learn more: https://bit.ly/RawMilkCDPH #RawMilk #ChoosePasteurized
	Suggested message: Make sure to fully cook oysters and other shellfish before eating. Why? Raw or undercooked #oysters can be contaminated with bacteria that can cause a type of food poisoning called #vibriosis. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3lR1gad #FoodSafety #ShellfishSafety

Seasonal and Holiday Food Messaging

	Suggested messages: Start your holiday meal prep with clean hands and surfaces in the kitchen. Wash away germs that can cause food poisoning with soap and water before you get cooking! https://bit.ly/CDCHolidayFoodSafety While cooking and baking this holiday season, remember to keep hands and surfaces clean in the kitchen. Wash away germs that can cause food poisoning with soap and water before you get cooking! https://bit.ly/CDCHolidayFoodSafety
	Suggested messages: During your holiday meal prep, keep raw meat away from ready-to-eat foods in the kitchen. Use separate cutting boards for fresh produce and raw meat to help keep germs from spreading that can make you sick. https://bit.ly/CDCHolidayFoodSafety Did you know? Raw meat and poultry are covered with germs that can make you sick unless thoroughly cooked. Keep raw meat separate from other food. https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/4-steps-to-food-safety#separate
	Suggested messages: Did you know? You shouldn’t wash or rinse raw turkey because it can spread germs in the kitchen. Instead, cook your holiday turkey thoroughly to kill any germs. Learn more: https://bit.ly/CDCHolidayTurkey Washing your turkey before cooking it can spread germs to other foods, utensils, and countertops in the kitchen. The best way to safely prepare a turkey is to cook it thoroughly – doing this will kill any germs that can make you or your family sick. Learn more: https://bit.ly/CDCHolidayTurkey and https://bit.ly/TurkeyUSDA
	Suggested message: After your holiday meal, make sure to put away leftovers in the refrigerator within 2 hours. Germs that can make you and your family sick can grow in food that is left out at room temperature. Take time to chill! https://bit.ly/USDAFoodTemp
	Suggested message: Some favorite holiday recipes may call for raw or lightly cooked eggs. But some raw eggs can have harmful bacteria in them called #Salmonella. To keep from getting sick, adapt favorite recipes to make sure eggs are fully cooked or pasteurized: https://bit.ly/FDASafeFoodServing #Eggnog
	Suggested message: It may be tempting to sneak a taste of raw cookie dough this holiday season, but for your safety, wait to eat dough or batter until it’s fully cooked. Raw flour and eggs in cookie dough can contain germs that can make you sick. Learn more: https://bit.ly/CDCRawDough #CookieDough