Partnership for Food Safety Education

FightBAC!

Community Potlucks: A National Moment in Prevention

MEDIA RELEASE

Media Contact:

Britanny Saunier, executive director
bsaunier@fightbac.org 

June 15, 2026

The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) is encouraging communities participating in America’s 250th Potluck to follow safe food handling practices that reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Food poisoning increases in the summer as warm temperatures allow harmful bacteria to grow, especially at large gatherings where homemade dishes are shared. PFSE is committed to helping families, educators, and community leaders prevent illness through simple, science‑based steps.

PFSE is raising awareness of this national event across its network of more than 13,000 health, nutrition , and food safety professionals and nearly 40 food industry partners in the United States. By equipping trusted local professionals with ready‑to‑use resources, PFSE aims to support engagement with potlucks already registered in their communities and ensure essential food safety information is shared.

PFSE’s national network is encouraged to visit the America’s 250th Potluck website to find local events and connect with organizers. The Partnership has developed an action guide with free, ready‑to‑go resources to help educators talk about summer food safety and potluck best practices. Access your action guide here. 

By joining this national moment, communities can celebrate together while taking meaningful steps to prevent food poisoning.

About the Partnership for Food Safety Education
The nonprofit Partnership for Food Safety Education unites educators, industry, and government so that together, we can prevent foodborne illness, protect public health, and strengthen trust in the safety of our food. Our work is supported by 35+ contributors including the FMI Foundation and Costco Wholesale. Visit fightbac.org to learn more.

How to Cook a Thanksgiving Meal So People Don’t Get Sick

Authored by: Addy Gray-Johnson, MPH student, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

The secret to a safe and delicious Thanksgiving is simple: keep things clean, separate raw foods, cook to the right temperatures, and chill leftovers quickly. These four steps help prevent food poisoning and make your holiday meal both joyful and safe for everyone at the table.

Start the Holidays Right—With Clean Hands and Clean Spaces

A great Thanksgiving meal begins long before the turkey hits the oven.

Keep Clean With These Simple Habits

● Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds (sing the chorus of your favorite holiday song!)
● Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water
● Clean cutting boards, countertops, and utensils before switching tasks
A clean kitchen is your first line of defense—and your guests will thank you for it.

Avoid Cross-Contamination: Keep Foods Separate

Raw turkey and ready-to-eat foods don’t play well together. Keep them apart to prevent harmful bacteria from spreading.

Separation Made Simple

● Use one cutting board for raw meat and another for produce
● Store raw turkey, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from other foods
● It’s recommended not to return cooked food to a plate that held raw ingredients

Think of it as giving your ingredients their own “holiday bubble.”

Cook It Right—Temperature Matters More Than Timing

Your oven timer can’t tell you whether your turkey is safe—the food thermometer is
your holiday hero.

Temperature Tips for a Safe Feast

● Cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165°F
● Check in three spots: thickest part of the breast, innermost thigh, and innermost wing.
● Reheat leftovers to 165°F
● Stir microwaved foods to eliminate cold spots where bacteria love to hide.
If you check the temperature, you won’t have to check on your family from the ER later.

Chill Out—Literally

The holiday hustle can be chaotic, but your food should never sit out and “relax” too long.

Keep Leftovers Safe

● Refrigerate leftovers with 2 hours
● Put perishables (meat, poultry, eggs, dairy) in the fridge immediately after shopping.
● Thaw frozen foods safely in the fridge, cold water, or microwave, never on the counter.
Cold temperatures slow bacterial growth, so make sure your fridge is set to 40°F or below.

A Safe Holiday Is a Happy Holiday

When you follow the Core Four: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill, you protect your family from food poisoning and keep the holiday festivities focused on fun, gratitude, and great food.

For more food safety tips, recipes, and resources, visit FightBAC.org. Here’s to a safe, tasty, and joy-filled Thanksgiving!

Congratulations to Barb Masters, D.V.M

PFSE celebrates our Board Chair's induction into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame

Congratulations to Barb Masters, D.V.M., on her honorable induction into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame. Her distinguished career, from serving as Administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to her leadership as Vice President of Regulatory Policy, Food and Agriculture at Tyson Foods, has been defined by an unwavering commitment to protecting public health and advancing food safety. Dr. Masters also serves as Board Chair of the Partnership for Food Safety Education. At the Partnership, Dr. Masters brings that same passion and vision to uniting industry, government, and consumers in a shared mission to drive lasting change in consumer food safety practices. Congratulations once again to Dr. Barb Masters on this well-deserved recognition!

Could I Have Food Poisoning?

How do you know if you have food poisoning?

Foodborne illness, commonly called “food poisoning,” affects about 1 in 6 people in the United States each year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms can range from mild to very serious, with approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths per year caused by foodborne illness in the U.S.

Five Most Common Foodborne Pathogens

So, how do you know if you might have food poisoning? Below, you’ll find a table with symptoms for the five most common foodborne pathogens that cause illnesses. However, please note that only a healthcare provider can confirm whether or not you have a foodborne illness.

Pathogen When Symptoms Appear Common Symptoms
Norovirus
Generally 12-24 hours after exposure
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain. Headache and low-grade fever may also accompany this infection. Lasts for 24 to 60 hours.
Salmonella
Generally 8-12 hours after eating
Diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting.
Clostridium perfringens
Generally 8-12 hours after eating.
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, and occasionally nausea and vomiting. Symptoms up to a day and are usually mild. Can be more serious in older or debilitated people.
Campylobacter
Generally 2-5 days after eating.
Diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, and sometimes bloody stools. Lasts 7-10 days.
Staphylococcus aureus
Generally 30 minutes to 8 hours after eating.
Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, cramps, and prostration. Lasts 24-48 hours. Rarely fatal.

You can find a more detailed list of foodborne pathogens and their symptoms on our website.

What should you do if you have food poisoning?

Did you have any of the symptoms above? What should you do now? Don’t panic! Here’s a list of steps you can take:

Seek immediate help

Get help from a healthcare provider immediately if you are pregnant or if you have any severe symptoms, including:

  • Bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that lasts more than three days
  • Fever higher than 102°F (38.9°C)
  • Vomiting so often you can’t keep liquids down
  • Signs of dehydration, including not urinating much, dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up

Prevent dehydration

Drink plenty of fluids, especially if you are experiencing diarrhea or vomiting to prevent dehydration, which is a lack of water in the body.

Avoid spreading germs

Wash hands and surfaces often. Wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food, as well as after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.

Preserve the evidence

If a portion of the suspect food is available, wrap it securely, mark “DANGER,” and freeze it. Save all packaging materials, such as cans or cartons. Write down the food type, the date, other identifying marks on the package, the time consumed, and when the onset of symptoms occurred. Save any identical unopened products.

Record foods eaten in the past seven days.

If you or your healthcare provider suspects foodborne illness, make a list of everything you ate in the seven days before symptoms began. Symptoms can appear anywhere between four hours to one week after ingesting a contaminated food item. This information may assist in determining the cause of your illness, and can help the health department verify if your illness is part of an outbreak.

Call the local health department

If the suspect food was served at a large gathering, from a restaurant or other food service facility, or if it is a commercial product, contact your local health department to inform them.

Request laboratory testing

If you or your doctor suspect a foodborne illness, it is important to run tests to determine which pathogen caused your illness to ensure you get the correct care and treatment. Identifying the pathogen can help treat you now and help you understand what issues may arise in the future.

What can you do to help prevent food poisoning?

Here are five easy steps you can take now to help prevent foodborne illness:

1. Wash your hands.

 Studies have shown that handwashing can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related sicknesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections. Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.

2. Keep up to date on food recalls.

Recall notices can be found in the news, at your local grocery store, or online at www.recalls.gov. If you determine that a food recall product is in your home:

  • Don’t eat the food.
  • Don’t open the food.
  • Check the recall notice to find out what to do with the food

3. Practice the core four

  1. When preparing meals at home, follow these core four food safety principles: clean, separate, cook and chill. Learn more about the core four food safety practices and how these practices can help prevent foodborne illness.

4. Cook with safe recipes

Safe recipes include food safety steps, like washing your hands, that lower the risk of getting foodborne illness. Studies have shown that when people follow recipes with basic food safety steps included, they are more likely to practice those steps. You can find delicious safe recipes to download, or you can turn your own recipe into a safe recipe using the Safe Recipe Style Guide!

5. Spread food safety awareness

  1. Talk to your friends and family about how to prevent foodborne illness. You can tell your family about the core four food safety practices, test your friends’ knowledge of common food safety myths, or teach kids how to Fight BAC-teria. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook to stay up to date.

PFSE Board Member, Executive Director Discuss National Food Safety Education Month on Food Safety Matters Podcast

September is National Food Safety Education Month! 


According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year,
an estimated 1 in 6 people in the United States (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from eating contaminated food.

Food Safety Magazine interviewed Britanny Saunier, executive director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education, and Ashley Eisenbeiser, senior director for food and product safety programs for FMI, The Food Industry Association and a member of the PFSE Board of Directors.

In this episode of “Food Safety Matters” podcast, Saunier and Eisenbeiser spoke about:

  • PFSE’s mission to promote safe food handling and preparation practices, and how FMI and PFSE collaborate to protect consumer health
  • Resources that FMI utilizes as an annual contributing partner to PFSE, and how FMI members benefit from these resources
  • The methods and measurements of success used by PFSE’s food safety educators, called BAC Fighters
  • The advocacy efforts of, and resources offered by, PFSE and FMI in honor of National Food Safety Education Month
  • Why Saunier and Eisenbeiser are personally invested in food safety, and how their motivations inform their work


Listen to the podcast below, and read the entire Food Safety Magazine article.