The Center for Disease Control estimated 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from food borne disease each year in the United States.  The most common "cause" of food borne is attributed to people-  mishandling food, abusing the time/temperature rule, and not washing their hands.

The Northern Kentucky FCS Agents decided to present a program called : Mystery Dinner: The Uninvited Guest" to educate participants about safe food handling practices that may help them prevent causing food borne illness. The program would include a situation for participants to solve and would be given information through opening presentation (slide show),  pathogen characters passing out clues during dinner,.and  breakout sessions. Then participants would return to their table to solve the situation. 

One hundred eighty-six extension homemakers, guest, and other general public individuals attended the program. A slide show with food borne illness statistics and common pathogens information set the stage for participants. to be able to solve the mystery of which pathogen from what food served at the potluck dinner. Then the participants attended breakout sessions to help them determine the cause of the food borne illness outbreak. Afterwards, each table shared who they thought was the uninvited guest.

The following information was shared on 174 evaluations:

  98% understand the importance of proper cleaning and sanitation of solid surfaces in the kitchen.

  98% plan to wash their hands with soap and water at critical times when handling and preparing food items.

  98% plan to divide leftovers into small shallow containers to cool them quickly.

  98% plan to write the date on food stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

  70% placed the refrigerator thermometer they received in their appliance and checked the temperature.

The food safety information raised awareness of food borne illness cases and behaviors to help prevent it. The extension homemaker members will share the information with other club members to help teach and reinforce the importance of safe food handling practices.