DATE:    7/23/99
CONTACT: Libby Hoyle, (864) 656-5713
WRITER:  Giles Singleton, (864) 656-3876

Clemson Gives Answers When Food Crisis Strikes
     
     CLEMSON -- When a food safety crisis occurs somewhere, South
Carolinians may wonder, "Are we safe? Did I just buy some of
those? Is this contaminated food in our stores?"
     Clemson University and several other groups in South
Carolina rush to answer vital questions like these through the
South Carolina Interagency Food Safety Advisory Team.
     For example, if people in Michigan eat tainted strawberries
from Mexico, the interagency team goes to work.
     First, the team finds out if any of the strawberries are in
South Carolina. Next, they send out a news release through the
S.C. Department of Agriculture to reassure consumers that South
Carolina berries were not part of the recall. Clemson's PSA Media
Relations office sends out a similar release.
     Several Clemson Extension specialists and faculty serve on
this team to provide food safety crisis information to the
public, news media and other state agencies.
     "The team saw a great need to ensure that the information is
put out correctly through the conduit of the media," said Becky
Walton, director of public information for the S.C. Department of
Agriculture.
     Other groups involved are the Clemson University 
Livestock-Poultry Health Program, the S.C. Department of
Agriculture, the Medical University of South Carolina, the S.C.
Department of Health and Environmental Control and the S.C.
Department of Education Office of School Food Service. Also
participating are the Food and Drug Administration, the USDA Food
Safety and Inspection Service, the food service industry and
agricultural producers.
     When necessary, the team also informs family physicians of
the symptoms associated with potential food-borne illness
outbreaks.
     "Often symptoms of foodborne illnesses can be hard to
diagnose," said Jim Rushing, a Clemson Extension postharvest
specialist who is on the team. "It can be helpful to physicians
to know there has been an outbreak of a particular food-borne
illness and what symptoms are associated with it."
     The team has created a Rapid Response System to relay vital
information two ways - out to the public, and in from the
counties, the media, and individuals.
     "For example," said Libby Hoyle, a Clemson Extension food
specialist, "if I get a call from a newspaper asking about an
unsafe food practice, like cooking turkey overnight at 200
degrees Fahrenheit, and another call with the same question from
an individual, I know it's time to send a reminder through the
system that this particular misinformation is circulating again. 
To be safely cooked, turkey needs to be baked in an oven set at 
325 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, until the internal temperature
reaches 180 degrees."
                            END