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New food-safety ads use humor to push life-saving tips

clean, cook, chill, separate, usda, e.coli, foodsafety.gov
This video frame grab provided by the Agriculture Department shows the "chill" aspect in a new government campaign to raise awareness of safe food. AP Images

(CBS/AP) Can a little humor prevent a lot of foodborne diseases?

Health officials think so, and with a little outside help they've created a set of clever new videos to promote a set of tips aimed at keeping potentially deadly germs from making us sick.

And it's as easy as four words: Clean. Cook. Chill. Separate.

PICTURES- New food safety ads: Clever - or corny?

The government unveiled a media campaign today it hopes will remind home chefs to clean surfaces and utensils, wash hands, separate raw meats from other foods, and cook meat to the right temperature. The media blitz arrived just in time for the barbecue-heavy Fourth of July holiday weekend.

"This is just a good reminder to make sure that in the rush of trying to get the meal on the table you don't forget one of these rules and put yourself at additional risk," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The commercials are spearheaded by the Ad Council, which is behind other famous government ad campaigns like "Friends don't let friends drive drunk" and Smokey the Bear's quest to stamp out forest fires.

Government officials hope the ads will be as successful as those federal advertising efforts.

The new ads use humor to spread the food safety message. In one spot, a mom orders a chicken to sit across the living room from a bunch of carrots, urging consumers to separate raw meats from other foods.

"We knew we had to break through the clutter and really grab attention and make people understand this is something that can happen to you and your family," said Heidi Arthur of the Ad Council. "People don't necessarily see themselves at risk because they think they are doing enough."

But Americans are at risk. The CDC estimates that 48 million are sickened every year by a foodborne illness - one out of every six Americans. Of those, 180,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.

Elisabeth Hagen, head of food safety at USDA - the agency that launched the campaign - says consumers often ignore meat temperature when cooking. Many summertime grillers may not know that ground beef is more prone to pathogens than other beef cuts, and should always be cooked through to 160 degrees. Color is not always a reliable indicator.

What's the most important thing people can do to protect themselves? Said Hagen,

"Buy yourself a meat thermometer and use it."

Visit FoodSafety.gov for more information.

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