Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1520

A new internet based character is helping deliver important food safety messages to young adults who may find themselves in the kitchen for the first time.

To better communicate key food safety messages to young adults, the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education has enlisted the help of a new internet based educator.

Executive Director Brenda Watson says it's not something young adults spend a lot of time thinking about but they do recognize the importance of food safety to their heath and well being and they're keen to get more information.

"By young adult we're talking second-third year university students who would perhaps be leaving residence and moving into a home of their own and perhaps handling food for the first time in their own kitchens.

We went to six university and college campuses across Canada. There we interacted with over 35 hundred university students and provided them with information through a brand new spokesperson for the partnership, a character created as a result of focus testing with this particular target audience.

We created an image called Mrs. Cookwell and she delivers the messages of the partnership which are cook, clean, separate and chill.

Mrs. Cookwell's image can be found on the web site so people can actually log onto www.canfightbac.org and ask their food safety questions of Mrs. Cookwell and she will respond to your questions".

Watson says cook, clean, separate and chill are the key things we can do to ensure that food remains safe and to reduce the risk of food borne illness in the home.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.