(Chicago) – The National Restaurant Association encourages restaurant and foodservice operators to begin planning for the 15th annual National Food Safety Education Month. This month-long campaign is held every September and focuses on the importance of food safety education for the restaurant and foodservice industry, while raising the awareness of the industry's commitment to food safety. This year's theme is “Food Safety Thrives When You Focus on Five.”

As part of this month-long campaign, free weekly training activities and free posters that reinforce the theme, “Food Safety Thrives When You Focus on Five” will be available for download in mid-July at www.ServSafe.com/nfsem. Each week will focus on one of the five barriers: purchasing food from unsafe sources, failing to cook food adequately, holding food at incorrect temperatures, using contaminated equipment and practicing poor personal hygiene.

The free National Food Safety Education Month materials are based on the ServSafe food safety training and certification program.  The materials communicate concepts clearly and quickly, and activities can be completed in less than 10 minutes.

Industry professionals are encouraged to use these materials to take part in this national food safety training campaign. The free materials are designed to emphasize the importance of overcoming any barriers to food safety; and can be used to supplement in-unit food safety training.

The NFSEM logo is now available for download at www.ServSafe.com/nfsem.  Previous years' activities are also available on the Web site.

Total food safety begins with ServSafe training and certification. In every operation and in any situation, food safety has to work. Managed by NRA Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Restaurant Association, ServSafe offers high-quality training options for every manager and employee. From the classroom to online, and in a variety of languages, this is your food safety training solution. The ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification is nationally recognized and accredited. Visit www.ServSafe.com or call (800) ServSafe (800-737-8723) for more information.

About National Food Safety Education Month
National Food Safety Education Month was created in 1994 to heighten the awareness about the importance of food safety education.  Each year a new theme and free training activities and posters are created for the restaurant and foodservice industry to help reinforce proper food safety practices and procedures. For more information, visit www.ServSafe.com/nfsem.

About National Restaurant Association
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and National Restaurant Association Solutions, its products and services group, the Association works to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org.

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