September is National Food Safety Education Month, a great time to explore ways to promote safe food handling and prevent foodborne illnesses. And while there is no evidence that food is associated with spreading the virus that causes COVID-19, safe practices for handling, preparing, eating, and storing food are always recommended (see more about Food and COVID-19). You can use this opportunity to emphasize the importance of food safety principles, such as:

• How to keep "bag" lunches safe – important for any meal away from home
• Food safety tips to consider when creating and sharing recipes
• General food safety – important when handling, storing, and preparing food, including fruits and vegetables
• Food Safety for Children and Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women – important for these at-risk populations
• How staying food-safe helps maintain a good health status

Those with a digital presence can further promote National Food Safety Education Month and safe food handling throughout the year by:

• Sharing FDA's social media messages and education resources 
• Using colorful graphics and social media messages from CDC 
• Linking to Food Safety Videos (some of which are available in Spanish)
• Following Foodsafety.gov (available in Spanish) on Twitter and Facebook

The Partnership for Food Safety and Education also provides free resources, including videos (see participant-friendly videos towards the bottom of the page), kids games and activities, and webinars, several offering CPEU credits.

On the WIC Breastfeeding Support site, your moms can find an article on storing and thawing breast milk.

Updated: January 2023