New food safety ads: Clever

Can a little humor prevent a lot of food-borne illness? The U.S. Department of Agriculture hopes so. It's joined forces with the Ad Council - the organization behind iconic ad campaigns like Smokey the Bear and "friends don't let friends drive drunk" - to create a set of funny videos aimed at curbing illnesses that sicken 48 million each year and kill 3,000.

Keep clicking to see what they've come up with...

Clean

When it comes to avoiding food-borne illness, the USDA says clean hands, food-prep surfaces, and utensils are essential. What's the right way to clean up? Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and running water, says the USDA. How long is 20 seconds? About as long as it takes to hum

Separate

The USDA recommends using separate cutting boards - one for meat and another for produce.

But that's not all. Keep meat, eggs, poultry, and seafood separate from produce in shopping carts and the refrigerator. Otherwise, the foods might cross-contaminate each other.

In this still, a woman orders a chicken not to get too close to the carrots.

Cook

How can you tell if meat is thoroughly cooked? The USDA says color alone isn't enough to give you the answer. It recommends using a meat thermometer instead. Stick the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat to make sure it's safe to eat - safe cooking temperatures can be found here.

Illness-causing bacteria can multiply as food starts to cool. The USDA recommends keeping food on a slow-cooker or hot plate to keep it 140 degrees until you dish it out. Reheating food? Pop it in the microwave - 165 degrees Fahrenheit is enough to kill most bacteria.

In this still, a woman in a sauna makes sure she maintains a proper temperature with her new friend.

Chill

Illness-causing bacteria grow within two hours unless food is refrigerated. Make sure the refrigerator is set between 40 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and the freezer is at 0 degrees or below.

And this may surprise some folks, but the USDA says not to thaw or marinate foods on the counter. Bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature.

In this still, a man and his lobster stay cool on a hot day.