U.S – The non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) has received additional support from Wayne Farms and Kroger Company who have signed up as Contributing Partners in its endeavor of raising food safety awareness.

Wayne Farms LLC is an American producer and processor of poultry based in Oakwood, Georgia while Kroger is an American retail company that operates supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States.

“As the Partnership celebrates its 25th anniversary, we are pleased to have Wayne Farms and Kroger join our work to help prevent foodborne illness.

“We will continue working with our partners, federal liaisons, and health and food safety educators as we continue to focus on food safety education for consumers,” said Michael Roberson, Chairman of the Board of PFSE and Director of Corporate Quality Assurance with Publix Super Markets, Inc.

According to the CDC, an estimated 48 million people in the United States are affected by foodborne illnesses each year.

Certain groups of people are at increased risk of hospitalization and potentially life-threatening conditions. For example, children under age five are disproportionately affected by serious foodborne illness, representing half of all hospitalizations in the U.S. each year.

Wayne Farms and Kroger Company join 40 other leading organizations who serve as Contributing Partners in increasing public awareness on safe food handling practices, according to Newswires.

Contributing Partners provide year-round funding that allows PFSE to serve more than 9 million consumers with free downloadable, science-based tools and resources.

The investments also support a network of 13,000 community-based health and food safety educators, providing free resources to advance their community-based work, as well as educational events such as the biannual Consumer Food Safety Education Conference.

“At a time when food costs and demands on food banks are increasing, it’s so important to make sure people know how to handle food safely to stay healthy,” said Britanny Saunier, Executive Director of PFSE.

She noted the gravity of foodborne illness and acknowledged that it can result in chronic health conditions for many.

“The investment and thought leadership from passionate organizations, federal and state agencies, consumer groups, and food industry associations are critical to advancing food safety education,” she said.

PFSE raises awareness of foodborne illness prevention through free, science-based food safety education programs.

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