Georgia County Government - March 2009 - (Page 23)

Susan Culpepper, Douglas County FACS Agent (behind counter), teaches 4-H members proper and safe food handling techniques. illness and serious complications resulting from it. In Georgia, there are about 1.4 million children under the age of 9, and almost a million adults ages 65 and older. There are other high-risk groups, too: women who are pregnant; people who are on chemotherapy; and people who are already suffering from other serious health conditions. Public officials make a commitment to protecting and preserving the health and well-being of the constituents they serve. FACS is a ready partner in this effort. FACS Agents provided more than 5,000 educational contact hours for school nutrition personnel during 2008, helping them to deliver quality meals that contribute to the health and nutritional well being of Georgia’s students and their performance at school. In 2008, FACS agents reached more than 1,800 food handlers in foodservice operations throughout Georgia with approved curriculum from the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association. More than 900 foodservice managers received their required certification this year in courses offered by FACS. Agents taught more than 3,000 Georgia residents how to keep their food safe in 2008, using messages and materials from the Fight BAC!® Food Safety Education Campaign. Programs conducted with low-income clients have resulted in a 74 percent increase in acceptable food safety practices. In 2008, FACS Extension delivered food safety programming to foodservice managers and the employees they supervise in restaurants and school foodservice. Educational programs were conducted with audiences that included elementary school students, child care providers, personal care home managers, and concession stand operators. Finally, thousands of individual consumers took advantage of their County FACS Agent’s knowledge and experience by seeking individual consultation by way of a phone call or a visit to the local UGA Cooperative Extension office. Educational programs from FACS Extension focus on the proper and safe techniques for handling food and preventing foodborne illness. Most of the material taught falls into four basic categories: 1) CLEAN – food handlers are taught how to properly clean their hands, their utensils and equipment, and their work surfaces to prevent the contamination of food; 2) SEPARATE – food handlers are taught how to properly separate raw products that must be cooked to be safe from foods that are ready to eat, so microorganisms don’t spread from one food to another; 3) COOK – food handlers are taught about product temperatures required to eliminate harmful microorganisms and the proper tools and techniques for ensuring that foods are safely cooked; and 4) CHILL – food handlers are taught how to properly chill foods to prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms. In addition to improving safe food handling techniques, many FACS agents help consumers learn how to preserve their own food, to safely keep their bounteous supply for future consumption. In all, Extension FACS educational efforts are designed to protect individuals, their families, their clients and their businesses from the dangers of unsafe food. Gauging the impact of food safety programs is a challenging task, as it is difficult to measure something that the program is aimed at preventing from happening. Preventing hospitalizations, preventing absences from school and the workplace, preventing loss of EXTENSION continued on page 24 Your EMS Billing Solution Since 1988 Are You Ready to Increase Your Cash Collections for EMS? Contact us today for a FREE consultation FREE demo on 5-minute PCR dictation EMS Billing, Consulting, & Data Gathering For more information, please contact: Amy Patton Director of Marketing & Sales 478-972-8351 apatton@nrgbilling.com www.nrgbilling.com 2025 Vineville Ave., Macon, GA 31204 23 MARCH 2009 www.accg.org http://www.nrgbilling.com http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - March 2009

Georgia County Government - March 2009 Contents President’s Message County Matters Focus on Southeast Georgia The Georgia Public Service Commission Jerry R. Griffin MPA Scholarship Recipients Named Extension News Research Corner Staff News County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - March 2009

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