As food safety month kicks off in parts of North America tomorrow, the Aussies, always ahead (where it’s already September) push out cool food safety information for food handlers that’s more than just prescriptive. Taking a page from our food safety infosheets, New South Wales Food Authority has three case studies of actual (semi) recent outbreaks that put food safety into context for businesses. These case studies tell the story of an outbreak; focus on what was found during the investigation; and, what the business could do to avoid it. All they are missing are pictures of Dirty Finger Al or toilets.

Check out the three case studies here:

   * aioli prepared from raw eggs: Salmonella Typhimurium
   * fried ice cream using raw egg: Salmonella
   * pre cooked meats: Clostridium perfringens

One of the criticisms I’ve had in the past around social marketing campaigns around food safety is the generic, sanitized nature of the messages. These case studies do a great job telling folks what the specific consequences are if things go wrong and how to reduce risks.