The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that one in six Americans get sick from contaminated foods or beverages each year and 3,000 die. The Clay County Cooperative Extension Service Nutrition Education Program assistant for SNAP eligible individuals partnered with the Substance Use Recovery Center to provide the Healthy Choice program to their participance. The Healthy Choices for Your Recovering Body curriculum teaches participants to make healthier food choices to keep their food safe.

The diverse group made a 92 percent improvement in one or more food safety practices such as, washing hands before preparing food, washing all items and surfaces after cutting raw meat or seafood, not thawing frozen food at room temperature, and using a meat thermometer. Several of the participants commented that they had never been taught to use a meat thermometer and that thawing meat in the sink was a common practice in their home while growing up,