coli O157:H7 infection per 100,000 people five years ahead
of schedule.
"We are gratified to see that foodborne illnesses continue to trend
downward -- the same way pathogenic bacteria on many meat and poultry products
are trending downward," said AMIF President James H.

Lifestyle Editors/Food Editors/Health Editors

CHICAGO----

American Dietetic Association/ConAgra Foods Foundation Provide
Smart Strategies for Bulk Food Shopping

When the first warehouse clubs hit the streets more than 20 years
ago , consumers were baffled by the new phenomenon of bulk buying.It's in Your Hands(TM) program.

2 .

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Hodges urged consumers to use instant-read thermometers to
ensure doneness, particularly when cooking ground products like hamburgers,
which must be cooked to 160 degrees F..

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The meat industry has
developed and shared best practices aimed at making meat products safer for
consumers.
Most bulk buyers store fresh/frozen meat, poultry and seafood in
their freezers, keeping other meat products, such as lunch meat,
bacon, sausage, and hot dogs stored in refrigerators only.It's in Your Hands(TM)
program educates consumers that home food safety is a serious issue
and provides solutions so Americans can easily and safely handle food
in their own kitchens.

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According to Hodges, increasing consumer awareness about ways to handle
food and prevent foodborne illness is contributing to these encouraging public
health trends."

* Clean it -- Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and other items that
have come into contact with raw meat and poultry with hot, soapy water. "And be sure to discard remaining marinade.
"Shoppers need to be mindful of the two-hour rule: Perishable food
purchases should never sit at room temperature for more than two
hours, at which point, if harmful bacteria are present, they begin to
multiply rapidly," advises Newgent.
Yet, most may have their appliances set at the wrong temperatures.org
ConAgra Foods, Inc.

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has achieved its Healthy People 2010 goal
of less than one E."

* Cook it -- Meat and poultry products should be thoroughly cooked prior
to consuming them. "Yet, shopping these
superstores for everything from home electronics to ice cream and
storing groceries for months at a time can be confusing and present
food safety concerns . Plan Your Attack

A majority of warehouse shoppers (61 percent) hit the food aisles
first on a typical club store shopping trip.homefoodsafety.

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3 percent
drop in positive E.

3.
"When stored in a refrigerator, a sealed package of hot dogs, for
instance, will last two weeks, one week if opened.
Instead, try repackaging bulk meat/poultry purchases into smaller
packages before freezing.
With nearly 65,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is
the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.

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coli O157:H7 in its
ground beef sampling program .S. He detailed some of the most important food safety steps
consumers can take when handling meat and poultry:

* Cool it -- Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Who
wants five pounds of bacon and how long can you store it? Today, club
stores have become a mainstay in the retail landscape , and for many a
weekly ritual; yet still, many shoppers are perplexed. (NYSE:CAG) is one of North America's largest
packaged food companies, serving consumer grocery retailers, as well
as restaurants and other foodservice establishments.

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Don't use the same plate to hold cooked food that once held raw
meat and poultry," Hodges said. They
and their caregivers are encouraged to visit http://www . Visit ADA at www.

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Learn the Cold Truth

Survey results show more than half of club store shoppers (54
percent) own a second refrigerator or freezer for storing bulk foods. A Meaty Matter

According to the ADA/ConAgra Foods survey, more than nine out of
10 warehouse club store shoppers typically purchase fresh/frozen meat,
poultry or seafood, and 78 percent stock up on lunch meat, bacon,
sausage and hot dogs. Yet these
other meats can be stored in freezers as well to extend shelf life.

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"Never rely on internal color because
it can be misleading," he said.meatsafety.
These new data tell us that the steps the industry has taken are working,
but we are not prepared to declare victory .

1.homefoodsafety.org

The ADA/ConAgra Foods Home Food Safety ..

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coli O157:H7 tests in the ground beef samples tested by
USDA.

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This corresponds to a sustained decline in the incidence of
Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, according to
USDA data. "That way, you can defrost just what you
need for each meal," she says.

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If you
expect your afternoon errands to last more than two hours, bring along
a cooler filled with ice or an insulated sack to keep perishable foods
properly chilled.

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"

Hodges said that children, pregnant women, immuno-compromised people and
older Americans are at greater risk of contracting foodborne illnesses.org for
more detailed safe handling information about meat and poultry products. Rather , the data will encourage us
to sustain our efforts at identifying new and better technologies to make meat
and poultry even safer," Hodges said.

New Survey Reveals Warehouse Shoppers Need to ''Bulk Up'' on Home Food Safety

While many say it's the value that keeps
them coming back, more than half simply like stocking up on food.
Plan accordingly, hitting the perishable food aisles last.

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A
whopping 71 percent of Americans are unaware of the proper temperature
settings for their refrigerators - and 86 percent don't know how to
set the proper temperature for their freezers.

4. Think Through Thawing

Newgent also cautions against refreezing uncooked meat/poultry
that has thawed -- something nearly one in five (18 percent) people
do. Know When to Say When

According to the ADA/ConAgra Foods survey, nearly half of all bulk
food shoppers store their perishables for three weeks or longer - with
25 percent keeping perishable food items for more than a month.
Food and nutrition experts agree: Paying attention to the
expiration information on food packages is your best line of defense,
unless once again, you choose to extend shelf life (slightly) by
freezing .

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CDC also said that listeriosis cases declined 40 percent since the
baseline years. The AMI
Foundation conducts research and education programs aimed at reducing and
ultimately eliminating foodborne bacteria on meat and poultry products. "With hot weather
approaching, be sure to refrigerate meat and poultry promptly after purchasing
at the grocery store," Hodges said.

* Keep raw foods separate from cooked foods to avoid cross
contamination.
Freezers should be set at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and
refrigerators should be set below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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CDC today said that infections from E.
"Consumers have embraced bulk-mania," says registered dietitian
Jackie Newgent, national spokesperson for the ADA/ConAgra Foods Home
Food Safety."
Maximize your warehouse experience and super-size your safety by
following these five simple shopping guidelines from the American
Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation.

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coli O157:H7 are down 42 percent
since the baseline years of 1996-1998.
Because warehouse stores have not yet found their way onto every
street corner, these shopping trips take time and should be scheduled.

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Run a few additional errands or
hit traffic on the way home, and consumers could find themselves
unpacking spoiled food.

Source: Impulse Research Survey, April 2005.

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For
the past decade, AMIF has conducted millions of dollars in research to find
ways to enhance meat and poultry safety -- research that has been applied with
enormous success in meat and poultry plants nationwide. Keep track of
your temps by placing a simple refrigerator thermometer in each
appliance and adjust accordingly to ensure your foods stay properly
chilled..

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Reduced Bacteria on Meat and Poultry, Increasing Consumer Knowledge
Are Key Factors

WASHINGTON, Continuing reductions in foodborne
illnesses in the United States announced by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) today correspond to continuing reductions in pathogenic
bacteria on meat and poultry products , according to the American Meat
Institute Foundation (AMIF). "Be sure to get a clean plate when removing cooked foods from
the barbecue. "And never eat or even taste raw ground beef.

5.

When
it comes to deciding when foods should go, more than 60 percent of
people rely on their senses - tasting, smelling or seeing, to
determine if food has spoiled versus checking the expiration date .

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Hodges. While stocking up on these staple foods might
make sense, it does require proper storage practices - which many
people don't follow. Stored in the
freezer, a time limit of one to two months is recommended for best
quality," advises Newgent. For more information, visit
www.org or call ADA's Consumer Nutrition Information
Line at 800/366/1655, where recorded messages are available 24 hours a
day.

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Just last month, USDA announced a 43. CDC said today that the U. "Delaying the trip home increases food
temperatures and allows any bacteria that are present to multiply.. Half of these trips last
as long as one to two hours, including stops for clothes, electronics,
office supplies and even furnishings.
The Chicago-based ADA serves the public by promoting optimal
nutrition , health and well-being.eatright.

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U.S. Meat and Poultry Industry Gratified by CDC Data Showing Declines in Foodborne Illness

According to a new survey by the American Dietetic Association and
the ConAgra Foods Foundation, more than half of all Americans (53
percent) shop warehouse stores for groceries more often today than
they did just one year ago. This program complements government-sponsored
food safety initiatives that speak to the leading critical
food-handling violations by emphasizing the following four key
messages: 1) Wash hands often; 2) Keep raw meats and ready-to-eat
foods separate; 3) Cook to proper temperatures; 4) Refrigerate
promptly below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Over the same time period, USDA has
observed a sustained decline in the positive samples of E.

But
properly storing and preparing bulk foods is a big concern among these
shoppers, with two out of three asking for advice. "Thawing and refreezing foods not only can reduce the quality of
food, it also can present a food safety risk if the internal
temperature of the food reaches more than 40 degrees F," she says.
For more help navigating the "dos" and "don'ts" of buying in bulk,
download a free copy of the Refrigerator/Freezer Storage Chart, a
printer-friendly tip sheet available from the ADA/ConAgra Foods Web
site at www. The home food
safety education program is a program of the ConAgra Foods Foundation,
the philanthropic arm of ConAgra Foods, which works to improve the
quality of life in communities across the country.