The National Restaurant Association is encouraging restaurant and foodservice operators to prepare for the 15th annual National Food Safety Education Month in September. National Food Safety Education Month is a campaign that focuses on the importance of food safety education for the restaurant and foodservice industry. This year's theme is "Food Safety Thrives When You Focus on Five."

As part of the campaign, www.ServeSafe.com will offer training activities and free posters for download starting in mid-July that reinforce the theme of overcoming the five barriers to food safety. Each week will focus on one of the barriers: purchasing food from unsafe sources, failing to cook food adequately, holding food at incorrect temperatures, using contaminated equipment and practicing poor personal hygiene. These materials are based on the ServSafe food safety training and certification program.

National Food Safety Education Month was created in 1994 to heighten the awareness about the importance of food safety education. For more information, visit www.ServeSafe.com/nfsem.