Just in time for Food Safety Month, the Food Science Club is working to inform students about the potential hazards of incorrect food preparation and storage.

Diana White, president of the Food Science Club and senior in food science, is organizing an information booth in the Memorial Union from Sept. 20 to 23. Qualified members of the club will be at the booth to answer questions students have concerning the issue.

“An example of what the club members will be telling students is to wear gloves while handling ready-to-eat food,” she said.

White said there will be quizzes people can take to confirm their knowledge of the subject and, with the completion of the quiz, students can enter a raffle to win various prizes, including food thermometers.

“Thermometers make certain food is cooked to the temperature in which it is safest to eat,” White said.

She said these thermometers could be the difference in fighting pathogenic organisms.

Pathogenic organisms are organisms capable of causing disease.

Some of the food-borne infections the Food and Drug Administration lists are salmonella, campylobacter, cryptosporidium, E. Coli and shigella.

Natalia Weinsetel, committee chairwoman of the Food Science Club, said people are often not aware of the illnesses caused by the improper handling of food.

“Food-borne infections cause approximately 76 million illnesses each year,” Weinsetel said. “Of those 76 million illnesses, there were 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.”

Weinsetel said she helped construct a display case in the Memorial Union containing facts and statistics pertaining to the dangers of food misuse.

Weinsetel said the case shares information about many important topics concerning the safety of food.

She said experts recommend singing the “Happy Birthday” song while washing your hands with warm, soapy water. She said this, or counting to 20 seconds slowly, is sufficient time to “kill” germs on hands.

White said it is important to remind and inform students regarding food safety.