Food Safety for You
Welcome to Extension Food Safety at Kansas State University. We are a leading institution in the area of food safety in teaching, research, and extension. The goals of this program include educating consumers on safe food handling with food preparation, food preservation, food service and more. Many topics are highlighted on this site to help you learn how to safely handle food from the farm to your table.
Hot Off the Press!
Summer means it's time for County Fairs!
Another tragedy has happened children petting animals at a petting zoo and not washing their hands before eating. This is such an easy prevention method against illness and even worse, the loss of life. Read the story and always take the time to wash your hands after handling any animals.
Resources to help you after a natural disaster
Floods are affecting many people across the country. And with spring season upon us, the threat of tornadoes is here. Learn more about how to prepare and recover from disasters in our Disasters and Power Outages section.
FoodNet 2018 Preliminary Data Now Available
Documenting the major sources of and trends in foodborne illness provides important information needed to determine whether prevention measures are working. Each year, FoodNet reports on the number of infections in the FoodNet surveillance area from pathogens transmitted commonly through food. Laboratory tests, including cultures for bacteria and culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs), detected these pathogens.
This year's report summarizes 2018 preliminary surveillance data and describes 2018 incidence data compared with 2015–2017 data for infections caused by Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia. The report also summarizes cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) for 2017.
Home Canned Peas Linked to Botulism Outbreak
Previously frozen peas were improperly canned using the water bath canning method instead of pressure canning. They were used in a potato salad which led to three people getting ill from botulism. Sadly, this could have been prevented. Learn more about this outbreak from the CDC MMWR report.
ServSafe classes scheduled
In cooperation with the Kansas Restaurant & Hospitality Association, we offer ServSafe training classes across Kansas. For the complete list of classes for managers and food handlers, see our ServSafe website with lists of dates and locations. Check back often as more classes may be added throughout the year.
Donating Safe and Nutritious Food to Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens
Helping someone in need to get through a tough time in life is a noble gesture. But donating unsafe food doesn't help them out. Donations of safe and healthy food by food retailers and consumers to entities such as food pantries and soup kitchens can help provide food to hungry families and also reduce food waste. Learn more about donating food in the link above.
Selling Food at Farmers Markets
Regulations and food safety best practices for vendors and farmers market managers.This includes information from the Kansas Department of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension.
Now available in Spanish!
