September is recognized as National Food Safety Education Month, also often referred to as Food Safety Awareness Month.
Foodborne illness is a preventable public health challenge that results in millions of illnesses each year in the U.S. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the U.S.
In acknowledging this annual, month-long observance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Under Secretary for Food Safety, Mindy Brashears, says the following: