Sep 30, 1999
WASHINGTON, DC — September 30, 1999 — Food Marketing Institute Foundation (FMIF) announces its inaugural grant to the Partnership for Food Safety Education, a public-private partnership of industry, government and consumer groups dedicated to reducing the incidence of foodborne illness. The grant, timed to coincide with National Food Safety Education Month, will be used to fund a food safety education program at schools nationwide.


FMIF is contributing the grant through its national fundraising campaign, Safeguarding Our Last Link. With nearly $9 million raised, it is the most successful campaign for food safety education ever. Major manufacturers and retailers — including Kraft, Coca-Cola, ConAgra, Albertson’s and Ahold USA — have contributed to the campaign. Food Marketing Institute (FMI) contributed a separate $1 million donation.


Teacher-directed and classroom-tested, the program — titled Your Game Plan for Food Safety — is specially designed to increase awareness about the basic steps of safe food handling among fourth, fifth and sixth grade classrooms. A component of Fight BAC!, a national consumer education campaign led by the Partnership, the program inspires children to discover the science behind food safety and encourages them to learn through experimenting, investigating and exploring. The contents of the classroom kit feature an engaging video, fun family take-home exercises, and lots of inquiry-based activities and experiments.

JMH Communications, a New York-based educational marketing agency and creators of the Your Game Plan for Food Safety program, worked closely with teachers and students throughout the project’s research and development stages. Feedback from both groups on the curriculum and materials was directly incorporated into the development process.


Program kits are free — while supplies last — to teachers, extension agents and other educators who teach fourth to sixth grade students. To obtain a copy, visit the Fight BAC! Web site at www.fightbac.org and complete an online order form. Or contact Video Placement Worldwide, a distribution service that provides free educational materials to teachers. Submit a written request on school letterhead by free fax to (800) 358-5218 or mail it to Video Placement Worldwide, 25 Second Street North, Suite 120, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. Orders can also be placed online at www.vpw.com.


For more information on the FMI Foundation, call the campaign office (202/452-8444) or click below to visit the Foundation Web site.