--- title: National Food Safety Education Month - “Stop the Spread” description: Week 2 of National Food Safety Education Month 2025 is about preventing cross-contamination through safe storage and cleaning and sanitizing procedures. image: https://blog.userve.com/hubfs/Adobe%20Express%20-%20file%20(39).jpg --- ![National Food Safety Education Month 2025 - Stop the Spread](https://blog.userve.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Adobe%20Express%20-%20file%20(39).jpg?width=1170&height=582&name=Adobe%20Express%20-%20file%20(39).jpg) Food Service # National Food Safety Education Month 2025: Week 2 - Stop the Spread September 5, 2025 4 Min Read ## [National Food Safety Education Month (NFSEM)](https://blog.userve.com/us/guide-to-national-food-safety-education-month-2025) is a U.S. campaign held every September to elevate safe food handling and reduce foodborne illnesses. ## This year, [Userve](https://www.userve.com/?) has introduced weekly NFSEM themes, offering food workers and businesses actionable ways to improve safety in the workplace. The theme for Week 2 of National Food Safety Education Month 2025 is Stop the Spread, concentrating on preventing contamination. Join us as we unpack key strategies - including safe storage practices, equipment use and cross-contamination control. --- ## Theme for NFSEM Week 2: Stop the Spread ***Stop the Spread*** focuses on preventing contamination, especially **cross-contamination**, by maintaining separation between raw and ready-to-eat foods, using appropriate tools and sanitizing between tasks. Cross-contamination is a major cause of **foodborne illness**. Raw meat, eggs and produce can carry dangerous pathogens. Without strict controls, these pathogens can transfer to ready-to-eat items within seconds. Preventing contamination protects your customers and maintains trust in your kitchen. --- ## How Can Food Workers Prevent Contamination? Here are four simple steps to help “Stop the Spread”: 1. **Separate storage: **Always keep raw meats, poultry and seafood below ready-to-eat foods in refrigerators to avoid drips and leaks 2. **Use color-coded cutting boards and utensils:** Assign specific colors to raw and cooked food preparation materials and areas to eliminate mix-ups 3. **Clean and sanitize between tasks:** Clean and sanitize cutting boards, knives and surfaces after handling raw products, and before touching anything else 4. **Label and date containers:** Clear labels help prevent accidental reuse of raw preparation tools and equipment for ready-to-eat items --- ## What Common Contamination Mistakes Should You Avoid? Even with good intentions, missteps happen. Watch out for these common issues: - **Stacking or storing raw and ready-to-eat items together**, which lets juices drip and create contamination hazards - **Using the same cutting board or knife** for raw and cooked items without cleaning in between - **Skipping sanitizing surfaces between tasks**, letting bacteria hide on equipment Addressing these mistakes now builds a stronger food safety foundation for the rest of the month and beyond. --- ## How Can Food Businesses Participate in Week 2 of National Food Safety Education Month? Managers can use *Stop the Spread* to guide team activities and training by: - **Hosting short demonstrations** during shifts to show proper storage, preparation and tool rotation - **Labeling storage areas for cutting boards and knives** with clear “Raw” or “Ready-to-Eat” stickers - **Running a “Spot the Risk” challenge** where staff identify contamination hazards in mock setups - **Sharing photos on social media** using NFSEM tags to highlight your food safety commitment --- ## What’s Happening for the Rest of National Food Safety Education Month 2025? The second half of National Food Safety Education Month 2025 will focus on the following themes: - **Week 3: The Heat Is On** - Cooking and holding food at safe temperatures - **Week 4: Safe Spaces, Safe Food** - Safe storage and [**cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting**](https://blog.userve.com/us/what-is-the-difference-between-cleaning-sanitizing-and-disinfecting) By using the weekly NFSEM themes as a guide, food businesses can transform September into a practical training series that builds lasting routines, not just one-off reminders. **Userve **will continue to share [**weekly blogs**](https://blog.userve.com/us) with expert advice to make each theme easier to apply in your workplace. Check back regularly for the latest updates. --- ## NFSEM Week 2: A Springboard for Consistent Food Safety Preventing contamination is a cornerstone of food safety - not just for NFSEM Week 2, but every single day in your kitchen. Keeping raw and ready-to-eat items separate, using color-coded tools and sanitizing surfaces safeguards your guests and your reputation as a business. **Want tools to support your team?** Visit[**Userve’s homepage**](https://www.userve.com/) to explore training programs, resources and certifications that make food safety easy and accessible. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What does NFSEM stand for? NFSEM stands for **National Food Safety Education Month**, a U.S. campaign held every September that promotes weekly food safety themes to encourage safer practices across the industry. ### What was the theme for Week 1 of National Food Safety Education Month 2025? The theme for NFSEM Week 1 was [**It Starts With You**](https://blog.userve.com/us/nfsem-2025-week-1-it-starts-with-you), which focused on hand hygiene and personal responsibility. ### What’s the theme for Week 2 of National Food Safety Education Month 2025? The theme for NFSEM Week 2 is ***Stop the Spread***, focused on preventing contamination across food operations. ### Why should I use color-coded kitchen tools? Color-coded tools help **prevent cross-contamination** by clearly designating separate equipment for raw and ready-to-eat items. ### How often should surfaces be cleaned during shifts? Clean and sanitize surfaces and equipment **after any raw food contact**, especially before handling other foods. ## Food Protection Manager Program Get the training you need to become a certified Food Protection Manager with no prior experience required. [ Find Your Course ](https://www.userve.com/us/programs) ![food protection manager](https://blog.userve.com/hubfs/web-assets/usx-cta-hero-fh01.png) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Userve", "url" : "https://blog.userve.com/us/author/userve" }, "dateModified" : "2025-09-08T21:51:14.149Z", "datePublished" : "2025-09-05T20:08:43.000Z", "headline" : "National Food Safety Education Month - “Stop the Spread”", "image" : [ "https://blog.userve.com/hubfs/Adobe%20Express%20-%20file%20(39).jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.userve.com/us/nfsem-2025-week-2-stop-the-spread", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.userve.com/hubfs/usu/usx-logo-solid_20240901.svg" }, "name" : "Moncel" } } ```