Meat Industry INSIGHTS Newsletter

990751 Acme Launches Ground Beef Safety Campaign

July 28, 1999

Malvern, PA - Acme Markets, Inc., the Delaware Valley's largest food and drug retailer, has launched a Food Safety Information Campaign to educate consumers about food safety and the correct preparation of ground beef.

“As the supermarket leader in the areas where we operate our stores, we feel it is our responsibility to both correct misinformation and also supply correct information regarding the purchase, safe handling and cooking of ground beef products,” Acme President Craig Herkert said during a recent chain wide store broadcast. “News report's about harmful bacteria in fresh ground beef products continue to raise doubts in consumers' minds as to their freshness and safety. We feel this campaign will help erase this doubt and provide consumers with the information they need to buy and prepare ground beef products with confidence.”

According to Frank Price, Acme's Regional Manager for Food Safety, “The main objective of the Acme Food Safety Information Campaign is to convey the fact that color alone cannot insure that ground beef is thoroughly cooked to eliminate all harmful bacteria. This happens only when the ground beef is cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.” The Food Safety Information Campaign will help to educate all consumers about cooking ground beef through the following support:

-- New leak-resistant ground beef packaging is designed to keep ground beef fresher longer and is easier to handle and store in your refrigerator or freezer.

-- High visibility, Day-Glo labels, containing proper handling and cooking procedures, will be affixed to every package of fresh ground beef Acme sells. These labels detail what the consumer needs to know about ground beef handling and preparation,

-- Informational brochures will also be available at key points of sale with more detailed information about ground beef storage, handling and cooking procedures.

-- Displays of instant read digital meat thermometers and disposable T- sticks (temperature sticks) will be featured at the fresh meat cases and frozen patty sections of the freezer.

This Article Compliments of...

Iotron Technology Inc.

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